Once and for All
by NaomiKindle
Summary: When an old enemy gets loose and threatens to turn his world upside down, Danny must risk everything to stop him. But will he be able to save those he cares about? Full summary and rating inside.
1. Chapter 1

******Notes Before the Story:**

**Author's Note: **This was originally posted on my old account, NiobeDRose. I've reworked it some since it was originally posted, so I hope the edits will be better. The story does contain an OC that is somewhat important to the plot, but I hope that isn't a turn off as...well, there really wasn't much I could do aside from making a new character.

**Full Summary:** A year has passed since the events of the C.A.T.S, and thing seemed to have finally calmed down. But, things head downhill when an old enemy gets loose and threatens to turn his world upside down, and Danny must risk everything to stop him. But will he be able to save those he cares about before it's too late?

**Warnings for Rating: **Violence, Character Death

**Parings for the Story: ** Doesn't really focus on pairings, but involves Danny/Sam and slight Danny/OC (that's complicated)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Danny Phantom or any of its associated characters. I only wish I did.

**Special Thanks:** As always, to my sister for her editing and plotting :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

"Danny, are you okay?" Sam asked through the webcam. No response came, and she added, "What're you looking at?"

"I thought I saw…" Danny said, his voice trailing as he stared intently at the open window. "Nothing. It was nothing."

"Hey, guys? I gotta run – Mom's fussing that time for bed," Tucker said after a moment of silence.

"Yeah, we should all probably get some rest…see you tomorrow," Danny replied. He closed the laptop with a quiet click. Fingers ruffled through his tuft of black hair as he stood and lifted it from the comforter. Gently, he set it down dresser, beside an old photo. He picked the frame up gingerly in his hands, smiling as he looked down upon the faces of his fifth grade friends. It seemed like forever since he'd been normal—been human…or at least entirely.

Something in the mirror caught his eye, and Danny quickly glanced up from the picture. A hand behind him reached for his shoulder; burning eyes reflected in the mirror. The picture fell from his hand, and he pivoted swiftly as he changed into his ghost form. Green eyes panned the room, examining for something—anything. The messy room was as he had left it, clothes piled in the corner and the bed unmade.

Danny turned back to the mirror and glanced the room over behind him. _Relax, Danny; you're only seeing things_, he thought. _'You're just really tired…'_ He changed back, and a soft crunch came from beneath his feet. Shards of glass sparkled on the floor and across the faces of the photograph. Sighing, picked up the frame. He brushed the glass into a tiny pile, carefully dumping it in his garbage can before lying back on his bed.

*~*~*0*~*~*

The ceiling blurred into different colors as his eyes dilated with the darkness. He looked over at the neon figures beside him, squinting to read the blurs: 2:37.

Danny rolled back over toward the window. _No_, he thought, _it couldn't have been him…he's in the Ghost Zone…it was just your imagination…_

The more Danny denied what he'd seen, the more he could not get the thought out of his head. He stared at the window, now closed and blocked by blinds. He thought for a moment, and then walked over to the window. The blinds slid open as he pulled the chord to reveal the familiar view of the neighboring buildings. Nothing more. He hesitated before letting a sigh break the silence and dropped the blinds once more.

Sleepily, he slipped down to the basement. Once inside, he walked to the far side of the room, and pressed his thumb to the cold button. A small beep of approval sounded and the Ghost Portal roared opened. He hesitated for a moment, trying to decide if this was worth all of the trouble. Yawning, he decided he wouldn't sleep without knowing for sure. He transformed and glided off into the swirling vortex.

It seemed like forever before his eyes finally found what they had been seeking; a castle was perched on a small speck of land in the deepest part of the Ghost Zone. The castle was surrounded by broken clocks and silently churning gears. Above the large double-doors, the only clock that worked read 3:48. Danny approached with caution, and realized that they had been left open. He swallowed the lump that had formed within his throat, and proceeded through the opening.

The inside was damaged—almost as if there had been a struggle. The walls were tainted with singed paint and blasted chunks of drywall. A bowl shaped television screen on the far side of the room displayed a scene in which he had seen before…and it still wasn't very pretty. He watched as his house was blasted with a bright energy beam. In a flash, the building was ablaze; the flames reflected across the glossy surface of hypnotized eyes.

Suddenly, a bang sounded through the empty building, breaking his focus from the screen. It echoed for a moment, and the silence was restored. "Clockwork?" Danny asked to the empty room. A deepening dread swept over him, and cautiously, he began to investigate. Each room was searched carefully; most of them contained bowl-screens displaying different scenes in time. Danny dared himself to be too curious.

It was strange; Clockwork was nowhere to be found…and not a single trace of him existed in the empty castle. Danny headed back to the main room in the castle with no clues as to what had caused the sudden sound – or what had happened to the mysterious time spirit. He had searched every room of the castle and turned up nothing. Danny sighed, defeated, and drifted to the door. As he took one final glance, a small table in the corner of the other side of the room caught his eye. It appeared charred and disfigured. On its surface rested a piece of scorched and twisted metal. He approached it, hoping he was wrong. I had originally been silver – aluminum or tin. On its side was a green button that had a small, shattered screen beside it…a Fenton Thermos.

"No," Danny whispered, examining the metal. He backed a few steps away before speeding back to the portal.

*~*~*0*~*~*

His room looked the same as he had left it. The sun was barely peeking through the crevices between the blinds and the alarm clock beside his bed displayed bright numbers that were smudged with sleepy vision. He sat down on the side of his bed by the nightstand.

'_Clockwork is gone…there's no way to change that,'_ Danny thought, rubbing his eyes. _'No one would understand even if _did_ tell them, much less could do anything about it. Sam and Tucker would be helpful while fighting, but face it, Danny: he wants them _dead_. Jazz, too…'_ His back hit the bed, and he rested his head against the pillow. Eyes closed in attempt to ease the headache and to think. Silence fell, and Danny realized how tired he was. A heavy breath filled his lungs as he sighed and he tried to force himself to relax.

Suddenly, the sound filled with noise and eyes snapped open as he jumped from his position. The clock beside him buzzed loudly, and Danny sighed tensely as he sat back down. Sleepily, he turned the alarm off, grunting as he stretched. He threw on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. Blinds opened, revealing a warm golden-orange sky. Wincing, he let them fall again, shading the room as he crossed to the closed bedroom door. He made his way down stairs, dragging his feet to the kitchen. As per the usual, Jazz was already up, eating her cereal. Without acknowledging her, he moseyed over to the cabinet. He poured his cereal into a bowl before getting out the milk. Opening the jug, he poured.

"Um…Danny?" Jazz said, turning from her cereal, "You're missing the bowl."

"Huh?" he said, looking downward. On the counter, a puddle of milk had formed, and had leaked over onto the floor. She met him at the counter, handing him some paper towels to help mop up the mess in silence. When they finished, she returned to breakfast and Danny poured milk on his. For a few minutes, the only noises in the room were spoons clanking against the bowls and the crunching of the cereal.

"The bus won't be here for a little while," Jazz began, "I could drive you to school if you want."

"No thanks," Danny said heading to the sink to rise out his bowl. There was a pause before he felt her hand on his shoulder. "I can just fly."

"C'mon, Danny…I just want to talk to you," she said.

As Danny dumped the water out of his bowl, he heard his father's voice coming up the stairs from the basement. "I'm tellin' you, Maddie, this one will work for sure!"

"I don't know, Jack…I think it still needs some work before we test it," Maddie replied.

"What is _that_?" Danny asked.

"I call it the Fenton Ghost Tracker-Zapper two-point-O," Jack said. "It tracks a ghost by its ecto-signature and once it gets within a five-foot radius—" Suddenly, the device let out a loud series of beeps that became more rapid as it panned towards Danny. It pinged and a puff of smoke shot out. "Aww…" Jack said as the broken device began to smoke.

"That's strange," Maddie said, examining it. "Why was it locking on to Danny…?"

"Beats the heck outta me," Jack shrugged, taking the broken gadget. "Be back in a minute!" With that, he bolted downstairs; Maddie followed close behind him.

"Uh, that's okay, Dad—Jazz is taking me to school. See you when we get home!" Danny yelled after them. Jazz laughed to herself as he walked into the living room and picked his bag up from the couch. She met him at the door and smiled. They got into her car and pulled out of the drive.

"Thanks for the save, Jazz – I owe you," Danny said.

"You know I don't mind covering for you," she smiled. It was silent for a moment before Jazz spoke again. "You were up kind of late last night," she said.

"So what, you're spying on me now?" Danny snorted.

"No," she defended, "I just happened to be in the bathroom and heard footsteps. You were heading downstairs."

Danny sighed, "I just…couldn't sleep." There was a brief silence. Hesitantly, he debated on whether or not he _really_ wanted to ask her… "Hey Jazz…can I…ask you a question?"

"Sure—anything," Jazz answered, keeping her eyes on the road.

He unzipped the front pouch on his bag and pulled out a wadded sheet of paper with a cyan headband. "Do you remember sending me this?"

She glanced down at the note and back up to the four deserted lanes. "Yeah…I do," she said softly. "Because someone – some _ghost_ was posing as you. He said you were in the Ghost Zone ten years from then and…I needed to reach you…"

The air fell tense in the silent car, and his eyes studied her. Danny looked down at the note debating whether or not he should explain the situation to her. Jazz stared for a moment trying to read his expressions, his thoughts—anything that would give her a clue.

"That person…that _ghost_…was me…the _future_ me," he explained. The words were hard to find and he didn't know how she would react. "He wanted to kill my friends, Mom and Dad…and you…so that I could become him. I promised I wouldn't…but…"

"Then it's okay, Danny," she assured, "you won't become him—you're better than that. You want to do what's right and help people. Plus, you said he was trapped inside the Ghost Zone." Danny didn't say anything; she smiled. "And you promised, right?"

"But Jazz…he's back. And…" he let out a breath and looked Jazz straight in the eye. "Jazz, I think he wants to kill you." She studied his face for a moment before looking back to the road.

"_Kill_ me?" Jazz repeated.

"Well, not _just_ you, but…"

"Why would he want to kill us?" she asked. "How does that make you become him?"

"Well, it's hard to explain…" Danny replied. "But I don't want that to happen – I don't want to become him."

"It won't – and _you_ won't," Jazz smiled. "Like I said, you promised."

"I know but…I don't get it – he still exists…that means I _do_ become him…"

"Don't worry, Danny – I'm sure everything will be fine."

"How can you be so optimistic?" Danny said. She looked at him and smiled.

"Because one of us has to be," she said. "Besides, you're better than that. I _know_ you are." She caught a hint of a smile. She looked back to the road.

Straight ahead was a crazed driver on the wrong side of the road. Jazz swerved to the opposite lane to miss the large SUV, and skidded to a stop near the sidewalk.

"Danny? Danny, are you okay?" she asked shakily.

"Y-yeah, I think so," he looked towards her. "Jazz!"

Suddenly, the vehicle slammed full-force into Jazz's door. The car toppled, and glass shattered as the small car flipped twice before finally landing on its roof. Weakly, Danny opened his eyes and looked beside him.

"Jazz," he strained. Movement behind her caught his eye. He gazed into deep red eyes that burned with vengeance.

"Have a nice nap."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes Before the Story:**

**Author's Note: **Due to family complications, all of my fanfictions were put on the back-burner. But, I'm back in full swing and wanting to get all of this posted! As always, I appreciate the reads, but more importantly reviews!

**Full Summary:** A year has passed since the events of the C.A.T.S, and thing seemed to have finally calmed down. But, things head downhill when an old enemy gets loose and threatens to turn his world upside down, and Danny must risk everything to stop him. But will he be able to save those he cares about before it's too late?

**Warnings for Rating: **Violence, Character Death

**Parings for the Story: **Doesn't really focus on pairings, but involves Danny/Sam and slight Danny/OC (that's complicated)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Danny Phantom or any of its associated characters. I only wish I did.

**Special Thanks:** As always, to my sister for her editing and plotting :)

**Chapter Two**

The brightness of the white room blurred as eyes squinted open. His breath brought in the unpleasant smell of sanitation and latex gloves, and a steady beep echoed over and over at a steady pace as his eyes started to focus. Danny lifted his head from the pillow, and his whole body began to ache. His head started to spin and he let it fall gently back to the pillow. _'What happened…?'_

An IV was in his hand and its stand beside his bed. Right next to him was a gray nightstand with a couple of drawers and a phone on top. Beside the phone, daisies smiled at him. He glanced around to the other side of the room. He smiled when he saw that Sam and Tucker sat in the chairs nearby. About that time, Sam stirred. Yawning, she glanced over to Danny. Realizing he was awake, she walked to his bedside.

"You're up," she smiled.

"What was your first clue?" he half-heartedly joked. "Where are Mom and Dad?"

"With Jazz," she said. "What about you—are you okay? How do you feel?"

"Well, I'll live, if that's what you mean…how's Jazz?" he asked.

"In critical condition," Sam sighed, bracing herself. "They…don't think she's gonna make it," she said, tearing up.

Danny tried to swallow the lump that clogged his throat. "Can…I see her?" he asked.

"She's not awake yet," she replied. There was a brief pause. "So what happened anyway?"

"I…can't remember…" Danny stared at the ceiling, trying to remember. _Jazz swerved…the car toppled…finally landing on its roof. Weakly, Danny opened his eyes._ Jazz had looked like she was sleeping in the driver's seat when he had looked at her. A limp ragdoll. Blood speckled her face, and a trickle slid down from her left temple. What after that…?

"_Have a nice nap."_

"Danny? Danny?!" Sam said loudly, snapping him out of his trance. Tucker stirred in the background as Sam continued. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…I just…I'll explain it later," he said as Tucker joined Sam with a small wave. "Who found us in the car?" Danny asked to change the subject. Before an answer came, the door opened quietly and a strange and tired couple tip-toed in.

"Mom? Dad?" Danny said, his voice cracking a little.

"Danny! How do you feel, sweetie?" Maddie asked hugging him gently. Jack, too, joined the hug.

"Fine, I guess…how's Jazz?" he asked.

"Fine," Maddie replied, "The doctor expects her to make a full recovery."

"Mom, tell me the truth," Danny demanded.

She looked up at Jack, who nodded sadly. The poor man looked like if he spoke, he might fall apart. "Danny," she began, "Whatever happens…there was nothing you could've done to stop the crash. It isn't your fault."

"You don't know the half of it," Danny muttered to himself. "I'm gonna get some rest, okay?"

"Of course, sweetie. We can talk later," Maddie replied, kissing him gently on the forehead. His parents departed again, and were soon followed by Sam and Tucker, who had to go to school.

*~*~*0*~*~*

Only two days later, Danny was released from the hospital, receiving a week's sentence of bed rest. Since Jack and Maddie were at the hospital with Jazz, Sam and Tucker took turns missing school to take care of him. Apparently, Lancer and the other teachers were very understanding of the situation. Valerie had also stopped by every day to check up on Danny, and help keep him caught up.

Monday came too soon. And though he would've rather been with Jazz, Danny had to return to Casper High.

"Sam, can I ask you something?" he asked as he closed his locker in the crowded hallway.

"Sure," she replied.

"Do you…remember going into the future? When I was evil and…all of that?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"No reason, I just…couldn't remember if you did or not," he lied.

"Oh, by the way, do you remember what happened?" she asked as they headed towards the classroom.

"With my evil self?"

"No, the accident. What happened in the accident?"

"Oh…yeah…an SUV slammed into Jazz's door. The driver…must've been drunk or something," he lied again. He had already decided he didn't want to get them involved; there really wasn't anything they could do. He needed to find someone that was a necessity to the outcome—to his future.

"Tell Lancer I'm not feeling well," Danny said.

"Why? Danny, what're you—?"

"Can you just tell him?"

"Okay, sure…but where are you going? To see Jazz?" she asked.

"No," he replied. "I have to go to Wisconsin."

"Wisconsin? What's in Wisconsin?"

"An old friend."

*~*~*0*~*~*

The clang of the golden knocker echoed through the Packer's castle. It took a minute, but an older man in a black suit answered the door. Eyes were weary, dark circles deepening and hollowing his eyes. To Vlad Masters' surprise, Danny stood on the door step.

"What do _you_ want?" he spat.

"Vlad…I need your help," Danny sighed.

"Of course you do," he replied arrogantly. "Unfortunately, you aren't going to get it." As Danny had expected, Vlad tried to slam the door in his face, and Danny caught it with his foot.

"Vlad, just let me explain," he begged. Vlad kicked his foot out from the door and slammed it shut. The door locked quietly, and Danny sighed as he sat on the doorstep. He _could_ just phase through the door…but then, he really didn't want to make Vlad too angry. Somewhat desperate, he tried to think of another option. Finally defeated, he began his long flight home.

*~*~*0*~*~*

"So, did you meet up with your 'old friend'?" Sam asked, sitting beside Danny on the couch.

"Yeah…" Danny replied, "But I don't wanna talk about it…"

There was a pause. "Danny," Sam began, "Why'd you _really_ ask me about your evil future self?"

"I…couldn't remember if you knew or not," he lied. With their usual perfect timing, his parents came through the door. "How's Jazz?" he asked almost immediately.

"She's…getting there," Maddie replied, smiling weakly.

"Mom, the truth? How is she?" he asked again.

"Getting worse," she replied sadly. It was strange; Danny had _never_ seen his father this silent. It was almost eerie not hearing him blather on about ghosts or his latest ghost-catching device.

Sam bid them goodnight as she left and Danny went upstairs. On the way up, he told his parents he was going to bed. After locking his door, he changed into his ghost form and flew out his open window.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Thanks for the reviews, guys...your replies are below. Guest reviews are enabled, so I hope you take a minute to let me know what you think of this, whether you're a member or just browsing. These are shorter chapters than what I usually do, partially because this was written quite some time ago. It is almost finished (it either is or has one-two more chapters to actually be written or it's done...haven't read it in too long!) so I should keep updating regularly. As always, read, review, and enjoy!

DannyPhantomluver2: Lol, is that a good wow or a bad wow? Hoping it's a good one, lol ;)

Rebecca987: I'm not gonna give any spoilers, but I hope you'll continue reading no matter Jazz's fate - whether she lives or isn't so lucky. There are a couple of character deaths, so hope for the best and prepare for the worst - you never know who it might be. I'm glad you like it so far, though :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

The night breeze was fairly chilly—even for the end of March. He'd been searching for several hours now, and it had to be getting close to midnight. Maybe his three-week absence had made her think he'd left Amity Park and headed to another city. _'No,' _he thought, _'I _have_ to keep looking…'_

Right on cue, a blast of pink slammed Danny to the empty blacktop below. Dazed, he opened his eyes and blinked a few times before standing again. A woman in a red jumpsuit with an aimed gun flew down on an air board in front of him.

"I'd expected you to put up a little more of a fight, Ghost," she said with slight sarcasm.

"Look, I don't want to fight you," Danny surrendered. "I need your help." Taken off guard, she lowered her gun for a moment. Quickly, she aimed again.

"You're just trying to _trick_ me," she said, sharply. "Well, I'm not going to fall for it." She held the trigger and the gun made a low-pitched hum that climbed the scale as the barrel of the gun began to glow brighter.

"No, Valerie—wait!" he pleaded, shielding his face as it prepared to fire. He heard the pitch drop quickly. When he looked up, he saw that the gun had been lowered.

"You…know my name…? But how?!" Valerie fused.

"Look, that's not important. I need your help—can't you just trust me?" Danny reasoned.

"It's a little hard to trust someone that ruined your life…" she said with spite.

"And about that—" he began.

"Don't waste your breath, Ghost," she said. "I wouldn't accept your apology then, and I _won't_ accept it now."

Danny thought a moment. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Why?" she asked, trying not to sound curious.

"There's something I want to show you." She cautiously followed him into the woods. Valerie tried not to show interest, but she couldn't help but wonder what the phantom's secret was. "Can you keep a secret?" he asked again.

"Yeah, unlike you, I can be trusted," she snorted. There was a flash of bright blue light. Valerie turned her head from the blinding flare. The lighting returned to normal as she turned back to face the phantom.

"Danny?!" she said, jaw dropping. "But…the ghost…and then he…and you…but—"

"I _am_ the ghost, Valerie," Danny replied as he changed back.

"But…how did you know who I am?" she asked.

"Your voice," he answered.

"Why…didn't you ever tell me?"

"I was kind of scared you'd blow me up," Danny replied, chuckling a little at the thought. There was a short silence of disbelief – for both of them. Breath puffed out in the cool spring air: his Ghost Sense. His eyes shot to the sky. Quickly, he pushed Valerie into a bush.

"What're you—" Valerie started but a loud shush cut her off. "Why are we hiding?" she whispered. When there was no answer, she turned her head to see that Danny wasn't there. She felt hands embrace her shoulders.

Just then, something landed beside the bush. The figure looked human-like, but at the same time…supernatural. The darkness around her kept her from seeing his face as the person began to examine the surrounding areas. When he turned, Valerie felt his eyes land right on her and she held her breath. In the silence she heard a shaky breath in her ear just barely inhaling and exhaling.

The man rustled through the bush. Valerie ducked as a hand reached right for her head. Just as quickly as he had come, he flew off into the night sky once more. She felt the hands slip from her shoulders and a sigh of relief was released behind her. When she turned, Danny had reappeared.

"That…" he finally replied, "_that_ is why we're hiding."

"What? Who was that?!" Valerie asked.

"I'll explain it later," he said. "You should probably get home before he comes back."

*~*~*0*~*~*

"So…what was it you said you would explain later?" Valerie asked as she sat down beside Danny at the empty lunch table. "What _was _that thing?"

"You remember the CATs last year?" Danny asked.

"Of course," she said. "What about them?"

"Hey guys," Tucker interrupted as he slid beside Valerie.

"What about what?" Sam asked, snacking on a fry as she set her tray down beside Danny.

"Oh, uh…just about that time that Lancer had a 'Kick Me' sign on his back," Danny lied.

"Gotta run," Valerie said, standing, "I'll see you guys later." She left the bustling lunchroom after dumping what was left on her tray into the garbage can. Sam and Tucker exchanged curious glances as she left.

"Okay, what're you hiding?" Sam demanded.

"What—nothing," Danny defended, sucking on his straw in hopes of a little more milk.

"Then what were you and Valerie talking about?" Sam smirked.

"I already told you!" he replied sternly.

"Then why are you getting so defensive?" she protested.

"What—I'm not getting defensive—why does it matter so much anyway?"

"Why won't you tell me?!"

"Uh, guys?" Tucker interrupted. "I'm gonna run to the bathroom—see you in class, okay?" Without acknowledgement from the other two, he left.

"Ever since the accident, you've been acting really strange—like you're trying to hide something," Sam shouted.

"Why is everything suddenly your business?" Danny shouted back. "Can't I have a personal life anymore?"

"I'm your _friend_, Danny. I just want to help!"

"Well maybe you should try acting more like my friend than my mom!"

Sam's eyes hardened with hurt as she stared at him for a moment. She turned quickly on her heel and bolted from the lunchroom. She hastily pushed open the bathroom door and bent over the sink, a hand on either side. For a moment, she just stood there, watching tears stained with mascara drip down to the porcelain sink. A sigh escaped her lips as she closed her eyes and looked up to the mirror.

Her face reflected in the shattered glass. It was then that she noticed that a few pieces of glass lay near her feet. Among the shards was…blood. She looked back up to the mirror, and crimson speckled the reflective surface; she backed away. Sam looked around trying to find the source of it. Vermillion smeared across a closed stall door, the only occupied stall. The door was mostly closed, but unlocked. She took in a breath and pushed the door lightly. Inside, Valerie slumped awkwardly against the toilet, unconscious. Blood dripped from gashes that started across her face, and cut down part of her torso and onto her arms.

"Valerie!" she said. She ran over to her and started trying to find a pulse. Just then, a group of girls entered, chatting loudly.

"And then Dash said—" one of them continued. Sam knew the voice instantly.

"Paulina!" Sam yelled as she stepped outside of the stall. Her hands were covered in Valerie's blood. "Go get help!" The group just stared for a moment, horrified. "Now!" They ran out quickly, and Sam went back to finding a pulse. Finally, she felt it throb weakly beneath her fingers. She was still alive.

"What in the name of _Angela's Ashes _is going on in here?!" Mr. Lancer demanded as he walked into the girl's bathroom without a second thought.

"Valerie's been hurt—bad," Sam said, glancing back at him. Like the girls, he just stood there dumbfounded. His eyes studied the mess of shattered glass and blood smears, and finally they landed on Valarie. "Don't just stand there—call for help!" With agility none would have suspected, Lancer dashed from the restroom to call for an ambulance.

*~*~*0*~*~*

Danny stood by the girls' bathroom door, rehearsing his apology in his head. Paulina and some of her cronies passed by laughing and carrying on about who-knows-what. Their voices trailed away as they entered the bathroom and the door closed behind them. Danny sighed, figuring Sam would leave as soon as Paulina had entered. Only a moment later, the clique raced out and towards Mr. Lancer's office.

Something was definitely not right.

Deciding to check things out, Danny ran into the boys' bathroom next door and transformed; invisible, he phased through the wall. Inside the girls' bathroom, he saw Sam kneeling by Valerie. She was propped against the toilet, and appeared to have been badly injured. He didn't need to ask who was responsible—he already knew.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: ** Thanks to my reviewers. This chapter introduces my OC. As I mentioned, there is a slight pairing with her, but...it's a very complicated situation. At a certain point, it'll make sense. Also, I want to mention one other thing. To refer to Danny's future self, I used the name Daniel. I know that, on fanfiction, he is typically called Dan Phantom, but I began this a while back - soon after the premier of The Ultimate Enemy. I've never really cared for the name, so I apologize if that throws you off. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter Four**

"Danny," Maddie said, dropping a gadget onto the table as Danny came through the kitchen. "You're home early."

"Uh…early dismissal," he replied as he headed towards the basement. Maddie followed him for a moment, stopping in the basement door.

"What're you doing?" she asked.

"Looking," he said, pretending to look at some of the ghost hunting equipment. "I'll be up in a little while, okay?"

"Okay, sweetie," she replied, closing the door behind her.

As soon as the door was closed, he pressed the button and with a beep the Ghost Portal roared open. He changed to his ghost form, then turned and pressed another button to activate the Ghost Shield. His parents had recently been upgrading it—they claimed that now it appeared invisible. They hadn't had a ghost to test it on yet, so who knew if it was really up and running.

"That should at least slow him down," Danny mumbled to himself. He paused, glancing up at the closed kitchen door. _'They'll be fine,'_ he decided before heading off into the Ghost Zone.

He pulled out the incomplete map of the Ghost Zone as he tried to find his way back to Clockwork's castle. Pausing, he tried to figure out exactly where he was on the map. As he studied it, he thought he heard something…a whisper? He turned quickly only to see nothing but space behind him. _'It's the Ghost Zone—it always makes strange noises,'_ he assured himself. Danny turned back to the map but found himself overcome with sudden paranoia. He wheeled around again, only to see the same void. Anxious eyes darted around, searching for any sign of life…or the absence thereof. After sensing nothing, he turned back to the map.

Just as soon as he turned, an invisible hand wrapped around his neck, choking him. Danny ripped at the unseen force, trying to rip its grasp from his throat.

"Don't bother trying to overpower me," a deep voice spoke as a figure became visible. Danny stared into those all-too-familiar eyes. Blood-red and smoldering with hate. Seconds passed, and Danny became lightheaded. Breath caught in his throat as he gasped for air, and the image before him began to falter.

"You—can't—kill—me," Danny choked, desperate for air.

"Oh, but I can," Daniel replied slyly.

"If I—die—you die."

"You still don't get it, do you?!" he chuckled. "Thanks to you, I exist _outside_ of time—I'll exist whether you become me or not!"

His legs went numb, and his arms start to shake as he tried to break free from his future self's grip. Hand pried at the other, weaker by the moments. Danny fought for air as his eyes watered and sweat trickled down his brow.

He thought about his parents, probably worried sick about him and wondering where he was; about Jazz laying near-dead and helpless in a hospital bed; about Valerie, who he had dragged into this mess and now was injured because of it. And Tucker, who'd been ignored these past few days. And Sam…she was still angry at him and probably crying because of him right now.

'_If I die, he'll kill them, too…'_ Danny thought. _'I _won't_ let that happen!'_

Mustering all of his strength, fingers finally pried the muscular hand from his neck and pushed them backwards. His vision began to refocus, and Daniel drew nearer. Choking for air, Danny raced to the nearest door. It opened and a cool evening breeze swept across him.

He sighed, relieved as he landed on a dimly-lit street. Danny regained himself, and his breathing became less heavy. Finally he looked around; this definitely wasn't Amity Park. But he didn't care—so long as he was away from him. In a nearby alley, Danny changed back to his human form. Until he knew where he was and where Daniel was, remaining human was probably safer. Exhausted, Danny wandered the streets. They weren't very crowded, and he glanced at his watch; no wonder—it was already past nine. Suddenly, Danny saw his breath, and a chill trickled up his spine. He looked around anxiously. _'Has he found me?'_

"Are you lost?" a girl asked from behind him. "You seem lost." Danny turned to face her, and deep russet eyes met his own. She was about Sam's height, and wore a red-and-black tank and a pair of black jeans. Her hair flowed down her back to her waist in a long, black river that gleamed beneath the street lamps.

"Uh…yeah, a little," Danny confessed. "Where am I?"

"Glidesdale," she replied with a little surprise. "How do you not know where you are?"

"It's…a _long_ story," he replied truthfully. "And you probably wouldn't believe me anyway."

"Alright," she said acceptingly. "I'm Anna. Anna Kindle."

"Danny. Danny Fenton," he replied. There was a pause before he continued. "So…you wouldn't happen to know where Amity Park is, would you?"

"About an hour away, why? Is that where you are from?" she replied.

"Uh, yeah…" he answered. "Guess I'd better start walking…thanks for your help." He gave a little wave, and turned from the raven-haired girl. Distance grew between them, but Danny could feel her eyes studying him.

"I could drive you if you like," she finally offered.

"I…I don't know…" Danny murmured awkwardly.

"My mom won't get mad," she shrugged. "It's really no big deal."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, but I can ask if it'll make you feel better," she persuaded.

"Well…okay," he finally complied. It was getting late… They walked for a few minutes down the street before arriving at a shabby boarding house. Silently, they entered and climbed the creaky stairs to a narrow hallway, finally stopping at the last door on the right: Room 212. She knocked. Almost immediately, the door opened.

"Anna, you're home early," the woman said. Then she noticed the young boy beside her daughter and added, "And who's this?"

"His name is Danny. He—" Anna began.

"Does Danny have a last name?"

"Fenton. He's from Amity Park."

"How'd you meet him?"

"He was lost. He got on the wrong bus or something and wound up here. Do you mind if I drive him home?" Her mother eyed her skeptically and Anna gave her a slight puppy face.

"Well…I guess not," she smiled, hugging Anna. "Be safe." The woman planted a light kiss on Anna's forehead before releasing her. Her mother handed her a cell phone and whispered something that made Anna smile a little. As the door closed, Anna and Danny headed back down the staircase.

Beside the building, there was an alley lined with vehicles. She pulled out a key and headed for an old Neon. They slid inside and pulled out onto the highway.

"Your mom is nice," Danny said to fill the silence.

"Yeah, I love her," she smiled. "Do you live with your parents?"

"Yeah, why?" he replied.

"Just curious," she answered. "I always hate when you ask people about their parents and their parents are dead or something." They both chuckled a little and Danny gave a quiet "Me too." After a moment, Anna continued. "What are they like?"

"Who?"

"Your parents—who else?"

"Strange…" he replied, thinking about how worried they must be. "_Very_ strange…"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"They, uh…hunt ghosts," Danny murmured. "They're two of the world's leading Ghost Hunters." There was a brief silence. Yep, he blew it.

"That's neat," she said. "Have they ever caught one?"

"Really? You think Ghost Hunting is _neat_?" he asked in awe.

"Sure. I've heard that ghosts aren't always a result of death. Is that possible?"

"Well, I know _one_ way it can happen," Danny said to himself.

"Really? And how might that be?" she asked.

"Did you know that there are three ghost hybrids in the world?"

"No, I didn't…" she said. "Do you know who they are?"

Danny immediately cut off. _'Should I tell her…?'_ "Not a clue."

Suddenly, the car made a revving sound and stopped dead in its tracks. "Of course that would happen now of all times…" she said. Together, they rolled it to the side of the road. "Stay in here, I'll go see what's wrong."

"I can help," Danny said, starting after her.

"No, I can handle it." She walked over to the driver's side to pop the hood before heading to the front. Danny sat back in the passenger seat for a moment before opening his own door and going after her. As he walked around, he noticed she was just standing over the engine. He watched her undetected and could hear a strange clanking sound. Soon enough, it stopped.

"I thought I told you to stay in the car," she said without looking up.

"I—uh—thought you…might need some help," Danny reasoned, his voice trailing.

"It's called P.K.," she said after a moment. "Well, psychokinesis. It's the ability to move things with one's mind." She slammed the hood and added, "I'm not ashamed or anything, you just didn't ask."

"Oh…" Danny mumbled. _'Maybe I should…'_ he thought. _'No. I don't want to endanger her, too.'_

"Aren't you coming?" she asked from the driver's door.

"Huh—oh, yeah," he said, getting back into the Neon.

They drove in silence for a little while. It started raining about five minutes after they had pulled off and about ten minutes passed before anyone spoke. "What is it that you want to tell me?" Anna asked.

"What?" Danny questioned in confusion.

"You want to tell me something," she repeated.

"What're you—psychic?" he asked sarcastically.

"It's…part of the P.K.," she answered, smiling, "I can use P.K.S.T, P.K.M.T., and P.K.L.T. L.T. is the ability to affect living targets. Because of that, I'm usually pretty good at guessing. Again, you didn't ask. Now, what is it that you wanted to tell me?"

"I…have a confession to make," he began. "You remember earlier when you asked me who the ghost hybrids were, and I said I didn't know?"

"Yes."

"I lied."

"I know," she said simply. "You know all three."

"Technically, I _know_ two of them," he corrected. _'Here goes everything.'_ "I'm one of them."

"Wow, that's irony," she replied with little surprise.

"What?"

"Your parents are the world's leading Ghost Hunters and their son is half ghost. Do they know?"

"Nope. I'd tell them but…well, they'd probably dissect me or something…" It was strange: he felt completely okay telling her everything—and nothing seemed to surprise her. He smiled as he looked up to see green highway sign highlighted in the headlights that read WELCOME TO AMITY PARK.

It wasn't long before they turned on to his street. "Is this the place?" Anna asked as the car stopped by a large building. The brick building was topped by a large monstrosity that looked like some type of UFO had landed there; under it was a large sign that read "Fenton Works."

"Yeah…home, sweet home," he replied, rolling his eyes at how ridiculous it must look to her.

"I guess this is good-bye," she said. "It was nice to meet you."

Danny looked at the clock; it was already around ten thirty. "Anna, it's late," he said. "I'll ask my parents if they mind letting you stay the night."

"I'm not sure…what if they get angry?" she asked.

"Don't worry, they won't; tomorrow's a Saturday," Danny smiled. She gave him a skeptical look, but followed him up to the doorstep in the rain. He didn't bother knocking, but just opened the door. Inside, he found his worried mom pacing the room.

"Danny! Where have you been?!" she yelled, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I, uh…got a little lost," he replied. Anna stood awkwardly in the doorway for a moment before Danny remembered her. "Oh, Mom—this is Anna. She gave me a ride home—"

"Ride home?" she interrupted, "From where?"

"I went for a walk and wasn't paying attention. Somehow, I wound up in Glidesdale and she gave me a ride. I was wondering if maybe she could just crash here for the night since she lives an hour away and it's already late…" his voice trailed.

"I don't know…" Maddie replied unsurely. "I mean, your father's with Jazz, and there's school…"

"C'mon, Mom—tomorrow's a Saturday," he pleaded.

"Well…alright, it's fine with me. Do you need to call someone, Anna?" she asked.

"Yes…could I use your phone? My cell phone doesn't have signal here," she replied.

"Of course," Maddie said, handing her the phone. Meanwhile, Danny headed upstairs and drug out an extra blanket and pillow; Maddie helped. "If you want, you can see if she wants to use Jazz's room—I know she wouldn't mind," she suggested. Danny shook his head as he made his way back downstairs. He threw the pillows and blanket on the couch just as Anna hung up.

"Mom said it would be fine," Anna said. "Thank you again, Danny."

"No problem. Maybe you could meet my friends before you leave," Danny suggested.

"I'd like that," she smiled.

"If you want," Danny began, "You can sleep in my sister's room since she's…not home."

"No thanks, I'll be fine on the couch," Anna said. "Just curiosity, where is she?"

"She's…in the hospital," Danny mumbled.

"Sorry to hear that." The air was thick with tension and slight awkwardness before she broke the silence. "Thank you again, Danny. For letting me stay the night."

"No problem…g'night."

For Danny, the night was filled with thoughts of the previous hours—meeting Anna, almost being strangled by his future self, Valerie being attacked, the fight with Sam…

It'd been a long day.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **Thanks for the reviews. I did have one suggestion about the story dragging a little, and I realize it does. I'm in the process of reworking some of the chapters to give more content. After this one, it does start to pick up a bit, so hang in there! I'm hoping to have the reworking done by next week, but if not, I might not update on time. Apologies in advance! Enjoy the update, and don't forget to review! :)

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><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

It seemed as though the sun peeked through the creases in the blinds too early for Danny Fenton. Yawning, he rose from the wadded mass of sheets. He sat there for a moment, remembering the events of the previous nights. _'Anna,'_ he thought.

He slid on his jeans and tee shirt, and casually walked down the stairs to find Anna—and everyone for that matter—still asleep. Silently, He slipped into the kitchen, and pulled out a large frying pan and a medium sized pot. Danny carefully read the instructions on the back of the oatmeal container. _'How hard can it be?'_ he thought to himself.

After mixing the oatmeal, he pulled out a carton of eggs and cracked eight of them into a bowl, scrambled them, and dumped them into the hot frying pan.

"I didn't know you could cook," Jack's voice rang out from behind him.

"Well, I've been watching Mom do it and thought 'hey, how hard could it be?'" Danny replied. Soon after he came in, Maddie followed. She helped finish the cooking while Danny went to wake Anna. As he entered the living room, his Ghost Sense puffed out blue. He glanced around cautiously before walking over to the couch.

Anna stirred as a hand lightly shook her shoulder. "Anna? Anna, breakfast is ready…ya hungry?" Danny said from above her.

"Yes," she said, sitting up. "What time is it?"

"A little after nine," he replied. She rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times. "Anna, are you okay?"

"Yes, just…a, uh, weird dream," she replied. She stood and walked towards the stairs before stopping and looking back to Danny. "Where is the bathroom?"

"Up the stairs and to the left." Danny headed back to the kitchen as Anna went upstairs. It was only a few minutes later when Anna walked into the kitchen.

"The food looks excellent," she said. "Who, may I ask, cooked?"

"Danny did," Maddie announced proudly.

Danny blushed a little. "Well, I just got up a little early and decided 'hey, why not?'"

"It's good," she said, swallowing a mouthful.

*~*~*0*~*~*

A slight breeze blew over the warm asphalt and rustled the tree limbs as they passed by the city park. Danny showed her various places in the city and it wasn't long before they reached the Nasty Burger.

"The Nasty Burger…" she said to herself.

"What about it?" he said, pausing near the door.

"Oh, uh…why is it called that?" Anna asked.

"Y'know…that's a good question. I never really thought about it," Danny replied as he walked to the door. "It has some of the best fast-food in town, though." He held it open and she entered; Danny followed. They ordered and Danny paid. He was looking over the booths for an empty seat when he noticed a familiar pair in the far corner.

"Sam! Tuck!" he said, walking over to them.

"Danny!" Tucker said with surprise.

"Who's your friend?" Sam asked.

"Oh, this is Anna," he introduced. "Anna, this is Sam and Tucker."

"Nice to meet you, Anna," Tucker said.

"Thrilled," Sam interjected with a hint of sarcasm.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Anna said.

"Mind if we join you?" Danny said, sliding in beside Sam. Saying nothing, Anna sat down beside Tucker.

Danny explained how he had 'gotten lost' and wound up in Glidesdale and how Anna had given him a ride home. For the most part Anna didn't say much. It wasn't long after lunch that Anna left for Glidesdale.

*~*~*0*~*~*

The lunchroom was loud and crowded with hungry teenagers as the lunch bell rang. After finally fighting his way through the line, Danny headed outside to find Sam and Tucker. He stepped out into the humid afternoon air and, sure enough, saw Sam sitting at the usual table.

"Hey Sam," he said. "Where's Tucker?"

"In the bathroom," she replied.

"Figures." Danny sat down beside her. "Sam…about Friday—"

"Don't worry about it," she interrupted.

"No, I was really harsh…I didn't mean—"

"You're right, it's none of my business," Sam said. "If there's something you don't wanna tell me, keep it to yourself."

"Really? So…you're not mad…?" he asked.

"I was, but…I'm over it." There was a pause. "Danny, something happened…after that argument. I was going to tell you sooner, but you disappeared Friday."

"I, uh…went home," Danny lied. "What happened?"

"I…well, I'm not sure," she said. "But Valarie was attacked – she was almost killed."

"She was?" he replied with false disbelief.

"I tried to find you after the ambulance got here, but you'd already gone," she continued. "I think that it might have been a ghost that attacked her."

"Sam, that's a little bit of a stretch," he said. "What would make you think that a ghost tried to kill her?"

"Well, after she was taken to the hospital, I noticed burn marks around the mirror," she said. "It was shattered by a ghost ray, Danny."

"I'll…I'll see what I can figure out," he assured, swallowing hard.

"Danny, don't take it so lightly!"

"I'm not taking it lightly!" he defended. "I said I'd try to figure it out!" Sam opened her mouth to protest, but sighed.

"I don't want to fight again," she said. A tense silence fell between them again, and finally Sam changed the subject. "How's Jazz doing?"

"Same as she's been," Danny said. "I haven't been by in a day or two." He thought a moment before asking. "So…what'd you think of Anna?"

"Well…she seems nice," Sam lied.

"The truth, Sam. What'd you think?"

"I dunno…something just…didn't feel right about her," Sam said. "I mean, she hardly spoke, barely touched her food, and she acted like she was trying to hide something."

"She was probably just nervous—I mean, you two are new to her," Danny defended.

"Not like that, Danny. Something seemed…off about her. I don't like her," Sam replied.

"Hey Danny," Tucker said, sitting on the other side of Sam. "What's the dizzle, fizzle?" he joked.

"Will you stop saying that? It sounds ridiculous," Sam said. About that time, the bell rang. "I'm going to class." The two were quiet a moment as she stood and headed to her next class period.

"What's with her? I was only kidding," Tucker asked, watching Sam leave.

"Who knows," Danny said, sighing. "So, Tuck, what'd you think of Anna?"

"She seemed really nice," Tucker said. "I wouldn't mind hanging out with her again."

"Try telling Sam that," Danny said to himself.

"What'd 'ya mean?"

"She said that there was something wrong with her—like she was hiding something," Danny replied.

"I think she's just jealous," Tucker said.

"Jealous? Of what?"

"You and Anna. You _do_ like her, don't you?"

"No—I mean, I like her, but…as a friend…what's that got to do with anything?"

"Nothing, I'm just saying…girls get jealous really easily."

"Yeah, whatever. I'm gonna go see Jazz and Valerie after school today. I'll try to come by the arcade later. Let Sam know, okay?" Danny said as he dumped his tray into the garbage can.

"Sure thing," Tucker said, heading to his next class.

Danny never met Sam and Tucker at the arcade.

Jazz slipped away that afternoon while Danny sat by her side. The doctors tried to revive her…nothing.

Sam and Tucker were surprised when Danny didn't call or message them that night, and even more surprised when he didn't show up at school the next day. Mr. Lancer pulled both of them out of class that morning; it wasn't long before the entire school knew why Danny was absent. The two went by after school to see him. There wasn't much they could do, but they did what they could.

That Wednesday night was the wake. The Fenton family stood by her side as the people passed through. The room was warm and inviting, but painted with the smell of embalmment. Many people sat on the couches or in chairs by tissue boxes that were emptied in no time. It seemed as though the entire school had come to pay their respects—even Dash came by. Danny stood by the casket, gazing into his favorite picture of her when he felt a soft pat on his shoulder. He turned to face the person.

Vlad Masters looked tired as he smiled in hopes of lifting his spirits. Danny turned back to the picture, trying not to tear up. Vlad had flown in from Wisconsin for the funeral. Maddie didn't seem very happy to see him and Jack tried to be a little cheerful. Danny couldn't smile. No matter who joked with him or tried to make him laugh, he just couldn't.

The day of the funeral was bright and sunny. A slight breeze rustled the various bundles of flowers. It was warm, but comfortable…Jazz's favorite type of day. The school must've been empty that day because everyone was there; Dash, Mr. Lancer, Paulina—even some people Danny didn't know stood around the metal chairs by her casket. Vlad sat by Jack and Maddie, doing anything he could to console them. He handed Jack a handkerchief and he accepted it gratefully, dabbing his eyes before blowing his nose. Another was offered to Maddie, who refused.

Danny couldn't cry…he could only stand by the casket, hating himself. He watched as a couple of men hoisted the casket into the vault as if it were a bin for toys. They didn't seem to even care that inside was his sister—murdered, because of himself! The more he thought, the more he wished that it was _him_ inside that coffin. But it wasn't, and he couldn't change it. Sadly, Danny laid a yellow rose on top of the casket and the vault closed. The choir began singing sad songs and church hymns after the preacher finished, and the vault began to lower.

'_Don't worry, Jazz. I'll make sure he pays for this…I won't let him win.'_


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** I've done some editing and condensed some chapters. I hope that will help with the drag and make it a little better to read. Thanks for your patience. Enjoy the chapter!

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><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

"Danny, it's good to see you back," Sam said when he sat down beside her. "Valerie came back yesterday. Tucker called you but your parents said you were asleep."

"I'm…glad," Danny said, smiling weakly. He looked pathetic—his hair was messy and his eyes were puffy from lack of sleep in the past week. It was only a moment later before Tucker and Valerie joined them. Valerie still had a few stitches and a broken arm from the attack, but had mostly recovered.

The next few weeks passed slowly as Danny gradually recovered from the loss. It took the month of April and most of May for him to get somewhat back to his usual self, and although he was sometimes depressed, he tried to be happy.

He knew that's what she would've wanted.

It was the last Saturday of the school year when she visited.

"Danny! There's someone at the door for you!" Maddie yelled from downstairs.

"Just a minute!" Danny yelled back. As he got to the top of the stairs, he noticed his breath puffed out in the warm air of the house…his Ghost Sense. He paused, _'Here? Now?'_

"Danny!" his mom yelled again, this time from the kitchen.

"Coming!" When he sensed nothing, he decided not to keep his mom waiting. He trotted down the stairs cautiously. A young girl with long raven hair stood in the doorway.

"…Anna?" he asked.

"It's good to see you again," she said.

He hugged her. "It's good to see you, too."

"I heard about Jazz—you have my condolences," she said, smiling softly.

"Thanks…" he replied quietly. "I'm gonna go meet Sam and Tuck—wanna come?"

"Of course," she smiled. They headed down the crowded afternoon sidewalks. "So, what have you been doing recently?"

"Not much…just…trying to get by," he replied, smiling a little.

"Do you miss her?" she asked.

"Yeah…more than I ever thought I would," Danny said, opening the door to the arcade. "Hey guys, guess who came to visit?" Sam and Tucker turned.

"Anna," Tucker said, waving warmly. Sam growled under her breath as she turned back to the machine and Tucker continued. "What's up?"

She chuckled. "Not much. How about yourself?"

"Same," he replied. "What brings you here?"

"I just…wanted to see the three of you again," she smiled.

"I'm gonna go throw up now," Sam said sarcastically, heading for the bathroom.

"What's the matter with her?" Anna asked.

"Who knows," Tucker said.

"Perhaps I should speak with her," she said.

"That's…probably a bad idea," Danny replied.

Anna laughed a little. "Really, it's fine. It's…a girl thing." Before either of the boys could protest, she headed to the restroom. Sam stood by the sink, her hands coated with foam and the water full blast.

"So what, you're stalking me now?" Sam asked sarcastically as she finished washing her hands and reached for a paper towel.

"What do you have against me?" Anna retorted.

"Who said I have anything against you?"

"You didn't really _have_ to say it, Sam."

"Good," she smirked. "Glad that I've gotten the point across." She walked passed Anna and towards the door.

"Look," Anna said simply. "I'm not here to shatter your relationship. I just want to be your friend. Danny trusts me—he's told me a lot of things about you and Tucker, not to mention himself. Why can't we just be friends?"

"Yeah, right. And what has he told you—that his family hunts ghosts?" she chuckled knowingly.

"Yes," Anna replied. "And that he's one of the ghost hybrids."

"He…he told you that?" Sam replied a little surprised.

"Yes. If he trusts me that much, why can't you?"

"Because I see straight through that 'miss innocent' act. You're hiding something!" Anna's eyes flashed red as her anger built. Sam stared at her for a moment. "Your eyes…"

"What about them?" Anna replied, turning away.

"They just turned red… Danny's do the same thing when he gets mad," she said. "Well, they turn green, but that's because of his ghost form. Why…?"

"It…isn't any of your business," Anna said. "Look, the guys are waiting for us. Let's just try to pretend we get along, okay?"

"Fine," Sam complied. "But that doesn't mean I trust you or like you."

The two exited the bathroom, reluctantly getting along. Danny and Tucker looked at each other with slight confusion. As the two girls approached, Danny's Ghost Sense slipped out. Before he could look around, the two had separated; Sam sat beside Tucker and Anna on the other side of Danny.

"It's like I said," Anna said quietly to Danny, "It's a girl thing." They played Doom for an hour or so—Sam 'accidentally' hit Anna while fighting some virtual monster. Anna smiled, saying she sucked at the game anyway. As lunch time began to approach, the three headed their separate ways and Anna followed Danny back to his house.

*~*~*0*~*~*

The last week of school sluggishly slid by until, finally, it became the final day of the school year. Because Glidesdale had been released for the summer a week prior, Anna spent the days hanging out at the mall or getting better at Doom until the bell rang for the end of each school day. Danny's parents didn't mind letting her stay; it was nice to see their son smile after the recent tragedy. Mr. Lancer had called the Fenton's wanting to discuss Danny's final grades.

"Hey guys!" Anna said as she locked her car and approached the three. "Aren't you glad for no more school?"

"Well, three months of no school," Tucker joked.

"We have to hang out here for a few minutes. My parents had to go talk to Mr. Lancer about—" Danny cut off as his Ghost Sense slid out unnoticed. "A-about something."

"Danny, are you okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," he lied. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom. Be back in a few." Before any of them could say anything he rushed off.

As he headed to the bathroom, Danny's mind raced. _'Is he here? Why hasn't he attacked yet…? What is he waiting for…?'_ Danny had noticed his Ghost Sense periodically slipping out—usually unnoticed by anyone else—with nothing to trigger it. He'd also noticed that he hadn't seen any ghosts since his encounter with his future self in the Ghost Zone. Danny closed the stall door and, with a bright flash of light, transformed to his ghost form. Invisible, he began searching the school.

"Danny has been gone for quite a while," Anna said. "Maybe we should check on him."

"He's fine," Sam spat.

"I dunno, Sam," Tucker replied unsurely, "He has been gone a while…I'll go check on him."

"Why you?" Anna asked.

"Because he went to the bathroom," Tucker said. "The _boys'_ bathroom." Sam smirked and Anna retracted as Tucker headed inside the building. It was only a moment before Tucker came back Danny-less. "No Danny."

"That's strange," Sam pondered. "Usually he mentions if he's going to…" Her voice trailed as she thought to herself. "Let's split up and look for him—maybe he had to go ghost. Anna, you cover the inside and Tucker and I will—"

"Perhaps the two of you should search the building," Anna interrupted. "You're more…familiar with the area than I, and will be able to cover the ground faster."

"Good thinking," Tucker said. "We'll take the inside and you take the outside." Sam and Tucker ran towards the building.

*~*~*0*~*~*

Something strange had been going on, almost as if Daniel was playing some sick type of hunting game. Perhaps he was just trying to mess with Danny and freak him out. _'No. He wants them dead—and it doesn't matter if I live or die.'_ No matter how hard he thought, he couldn't figure out the mastermind's plans.

He passed each classroom slowly, carefully examining for anything out of place. Nowhere was overlooked—he even checked the cafeteria and auditorium. Each office was glanced over as well. In Mr. Lancer's office, the Fenton's sat side by side. Though he was curious, Danny passed by towards the gym.

"So, our game of Cat-and-Mouse ends here."

"I had a feeling it was you," Danny said. He looked around; Daniel was hiding—invisible. "Why don't you just come out and fight me, instead of hiding like a coward?" Something told Danny he would regret saying that.

"Have it your way," Daniel said. Danny turned just in time to see a punch heading his way. With no time to dodge, it hit him, hurdling him towards the wall. Easily, Danny phased through the wall into the boys' locker room. Daniel followed.

Thinking fast, Danny shot an energy beam at him, quickly followed by another. Daniel dodged the first with ease; the second one hit. While Daniel recovered, Danny thrust a kick straight for him. But Daniel recovered sooner than Danny had thought.

"As if I didn't see _that_ coming," Daniel said. He yawned sarcastically as he moved slightly to the left, leaving Danny to barrel into a wall of lockers. By the time Danny stood, Daniel had made copies of himself. All four Daniels charged at Danny, knocking him to the other side of the room. Danny shot out four blasts; the clones were hit and disappeared on contact. Daniel, however, blocked the blast using a self-generated shield. Danny tried charging him with a kick once more. This time, Daniel caught him by the ankle and used his powers to short-out Danny's. Once human, he threw him against the lockers. Dazed, Danny stood and rubbed his head. Quickly he changed back to his ghost form and he heard the door shut.

"Fenton?_You're_ the Ghost Kid?" Dash yelled.

"Don't worry, he won't be able to tell anyone," Daniel smirked.

"Dash, _run!_" Danny yelled. Before Dash could react, Daniel shot an energy beam directly for him. The room flashed as the beam hit, and he let out a sharp yell as the force sent him flying back to the wall. Daniel chuckled as he phased through the roof of the locker room. Danny wanted to follow, but knew that Dash's injury would be bad.

"Dash!" Danny said, rushing towards him. Before he reached him, the locker room door opened.

"Dash?!" Kwan and Paulina yelled. Sam and Tucker entered behind them. Kwan rushed over to his unmoving friend. Shocked eyes stared at nothing, glazed and lifeless. "Dash…? Dash?!" he said, begging him to respond.

"Is he…?" Paulina asked. Kwan's head fell silently forward as he held the lifeless body of his best friend. Paulina began to cry on the nearest shoulder and Sam didn't push her away. It was only a moment later when Mr. Lancer and the Fentons rushed in.

"Who screamed?!" Jack said. Maddie looked over to Kwan, who was still holding on to Dash. She walked over and tried to find a pulse; there was none. Danny stood in the corner, dumbfounded. Sam and Tucker noticed him; he looked as though he was ashamed of himself. It was then that Jack noticed him as well.

"GHOST!" he yelled. Danny looked around, and realized that his father pointed at him. He had forgotten he was still in his ghost form. "You did this, didn't you!?" Suddenly, Danny had two weapons pointed straight at him; Maddie and Jack both took aim. Thinking fast, he intangibly escaped through the wall. "Find that Ghost!" Jack yelled; he and Maddie split up to look for him.

It didn't take long for the paramedics to arrive and take him to the morgue. Kwan was heartbroken over the loss of his long-time friend—they'd been friends since their early years together. Paulina couldn't stop crying. Forgetting their differences, Sam tried to comfort her as Tucker searched for Anna. It wasn't long before she caught up with him and discovered the tragic ordeal. Danny showed up shortly after. Sam and Tucker said nothing to him as he took over comforting Paulina. His parents turned up empty-handed in their search. Anna left only hours later.

*~*~*0*~*~*

"Danny?" Sam said. "Just tell us what happened!"

'_No…if I tell you, he might…'_

"I don't know, okay? I came in just before you because I heard the scream—I had nothing to do with—"

"Danny, your parents said he was shot with a _ghost_ energy beam," she accused.

"So, what—I'm not the only ghost with an energy beam!" he replied. "Besides, you said that a ghost beam had destroyed the mirror in the girls' bathroom when Valerie was attacked, too!"

"Then why were you down there? I thought you said you were 'going to the bathroom, be right back'," Sam mimicked. "Last time I checked, an actual _bathroom_ was closer than the locker room."

"I was in the bathroom and—"

"No, don't tell me: your Ghost Sense, right?"

"Yeah, so I went to check it out, and—"

"Danny, stop lying to me!"

"Who said I was lying?!"

"You don't really _have_ to say it, Danny," she began. "Tucker and I are your _friends_—we can tell when you're lying…you've been lying to us since the accident."

"No, I haven't—"

"Stop it, Danny!" Sam yelled. "I know that there's something you don't want to tell me—or Tucker—and that's fine, whatever. But Dash is _dead_, Danny…and it looks like it was your fault."

"I didn't—"

"What? Did you just want to get even with him?"

"No, Sam. I already said I—"

"Did you just get mad and things got out of hand?"

"Listen to me!" Danny yelled. "I had _nothing_ to do with Dash getting killed—it wasn't my fault, and I didn't do it. Isn't that good enough for you?!" Things were quiet for a moment.

"Fine…" Sam finally accepted. "But what were you doing in there, Danny? It looked like there had been a fight."

"Sam, I already told you," Danny said.

"No, you didn't," she said. "But if you don't wanna tell me, fine. But there's nothing we can do to help you if you won't let us." Before Danny could respond, Sam ended the session and signed off.

Danny sighed as he set the laptop on the floor. He closed his eyes. _'It was all my fault... No, it wasn't. It was him…but…he is me. It's all _my_ fault…Dash wouldn't've… If only…'_ He let out a breath as he punched his pillow. "It's all my fault," he said to himself. _'I don't have a choice,'_ Danny thought. _'I _need_ his help.'_

Danny headed downstairs. "Mom? Can I spend the night with Sam and Tucker? Sam invited us to stay the night…"

"Sure, sweetie. Just check in every now and then," she smiled.

"Thanks." Danny hadn't realized it, but Sam was right. He'd become a compulsive liar since the accident. To her, to Tucker—even his own family. _'It's for their own good,'_ he assured himself.

He decided it would be better to head to the outskirts of town before 'going ghost' this time. His parents had been taking turns patrolling and hunting the ghost that had assumed the responsibility. They claimed with their latest device, the 'Fenton Disguise Breaker,' they could "see a ghost even if it's invisible or in disguise"; Danny wasn't ready to find out if it really worked or not. Once in the deserted side of town, he transformed and headed off.

*~*~*0*~*~*

Once again, the sound of the golden knocker could be heard echoing throughout the castle. It took several minutes for the door to open.

"Vlad," Danny said, panting from the long flight. "I need your help."

"I've already told you—" Vlad began.

"Vlad," he interrupted. "Please. I need you to listen to me."

"I'm sorry, Danny, but I simply cannot offer the help you desire," Vlad explained as he closed the door. Danny didn't have the strength to try and stop it; he just let the door close and lock in front of him.

"Vlad." He turned.

"I insist that you get out of my castle this instant!" Vlad said as Danny landed in front of him.

"I didn't come all this way to have a door slammed in my face," Danny smirked. He'd refused to intangibly phase through the door last time, but things were different now. "Look, you're the only one that can help me—"

"Believe me when I say this, Daniel," he began, "There is no help that I can offer—no matter how much I wish I could."

"But—"

"Leave." Danny didn't move. "Now!" Vlad transformed into his ghost form. "Before I _make_ you leave!" Not feeling up to a fight, Danny left, very disappointed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: ** So sorry for the ridiculous delay in updates. My job just went full-time, so I've been training and trying to get used to the change. I'm hoping to get back on track with updates. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

Danny couldn't bring himself to go to Dash's funeral. He knew that he didn't kill him, but technically speaking…he had. Everywhere he'd gone since that day, people had been talking about how 'that ghost' had ruthlessly murdered him. His mind was racked with guilt to the point of insomnia. Tonight was no different.

He looked over at the clock; five twenty-nine. Danny had been laying there in darkness since about ten o'clock that night. Defeated again, Danny sat up. He looked at the laptop beside the bed before finally opening it.

"Danny?" Sam said when she was finally woken. She sat the laptop beside her and groaned. "It's five thirty, what do you want?"

"Sam, I need to talk to you—can I come see you?" he whispered. His eyes scanned the background. He couldn't see much , only the window behind her. The sides were shrouded in red curtains; they were usually draped over the glass but now they were pulled over to either side, showing a view of the city.

"_Now_ you want to talk?! Danny—can't—"

"No," he said quietly. "Sam, I'll be there in a minute." Danny closed his laptop before she could protest, and rushed out the window.

*~*~*0*~*~*

"Danny? Danny!" she yelled at the computer. Sam let out a frustrated sigh as she closed the laptop. She walked over to the open window, watching the sky for any sign of him. It took only a minute for Danny to appear beside her. She sat back down on the bed as Danny anxiously glanced around outside before closing the curtains. Still facing the window, Danny changed back human in a bright blue flash.

"You wanna tell me what's going on?" she asked. Panicked eyes locked with hers as he turned from the window.

"Yeah…" he sighed. "At least, part of it." Sam rolled her eyes. "I'll explain the rest later—to you _and_ Tucker." Sam didn't say anything, just waited. Danny sat down beside her and let out a long breath. "Do you remember when I asked you if you remembered going to the future with my evil self and…all of that?" Sam nodded. "Well…the thing is…I…"

"Danny, just spit it out," Sam said. "I'm friends with a kid who's part ghost that fights other ghosts that are evil and have some plot to destroy the world. Nothing you say will sound strange." She smiled.

"Somehow—I don't know how—but somehow, he's escaped from the Ghost Zone," Danny said, watching his feet. When there was no response, he looked over to her; her eyes were wide with shock. "I've known it for a while, and that's why I keep lying and hiding things—because I was afraid that…if you found out the truth…he…he might…" Danny's voice trailed as he tried to find the words.

"Danny…" Sam said, putting a hand on his. She sighed. "You look tired. Why don't you get a little rest and we'll talk later—the _three_ of us." Danny smiled and gladly accepted Sam's floor. Somehow, he felt safer here.

Danny finally woke near noon. Sam was on her laptop quietly playing internet games, and he sat up.

"What time is it?" Danny asked.

"Around noon," Sam smiled. "I told Tucker that we'd call later."

"Why don't we go to my house? I can explain it all to both of you and no one will overhear," Danny suggested.

"What about your parents?" Sam asked.

"They're busy looking for 'the ghost'. I doubt they'll be home," Danny replied. "They leave the ghost shield on, so we should be fine there."

"Alright," Sam agreed. "I'll call Tucker. We can meet at the Nasty Burger for lunch, then head there."

They wasted no time, hastily meeting at the Nasty Burger. They sat in their usual booth and wolfed down their food. The three were almost done when a familiar face approached.

"Hey Valerie," Tucker greeted.

"Hi guys," she said before turning to Danny. "We need to talk."

"Now?" Danny asked.

"Now." He looked at Sam and Tucker apologetically before stepping outside with Valerie. "Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"What they've been saying…about Dash…is it true?"

"Of course not!" Danny said. "I had nothing to do with—"

"Then why were you at the scene?" Valerie interrupted.

"Because I was fighting another ghost and—"

"What ghost? They said that there was only one ghost there, and that it was you."

"He left just before they got there…"

"Well, who was it—where is he now?" Valerie demanded. Danny hesitated.

"I…don't want to endanger you any more than I already have, Valerie," he said.

"How would you endanger me by telling me the truth?" she asked.

"Because…" he began. Danny sighed. "Look, you're just gonna have to trust me, alright?"

"Fine," Valerie spat. "Don't tell me. Just remember that you're giving me reason not to believe you." Before he could reason, she turned on her heel.

After a moment, he headed back inside. "Are you ready to go?" he asked when he reached the booth.

"Sure," Tucker said, standing.

"So…what'd Valerie want?" Sam asked.

"Uh…nothing important," he replied. They left for his house, walking briskly and silently down the sidewalk. As he had guessed, Maddie and Jack were both out. He checked the ghost shield, and the three headed up to Danny's room.

"You remember when we went into the future and I was evil?" Danny asked, directed more so at Tucker. Sam already knew this much.

"Yeah," Tucker said. "Why?"

"Well…" Danny looked at Sam, who nodded reassuringly. "He's escaped the Ghost Zone."

"That's really bad, isn't it?" Tucker joked. Sam elbowed him and he ceased.

"Exactly how long have you known?" Sam said.

"Since the night before the accident," Danny replied. He paced over to the window as he spoke. "I kept seeing him—in my window, the mirror… I knew I wouldn't rest until I made sure he was still with Clockwork in the Ghost Zone. But when I got there…Clockwork was gone. I found the Fenton Thermos…and it had been torn open. My evil self escaped. That morning…well, I knew Jazz knew most of what happened and…I told her...and…" Looking out over the city, Danny cut off.

Sam gasped. "The accident?"

"…It _wasn't_ an accident," Danny corrected. "He meant to kill her…and he did. I went to visit Vlad—I thought maybe he might help me. After he slammed the door in my face, I decided to get Valerie's help. To get her to trust me, I…told her about…me being part ghost and…"

"So he attacked her to keep her from helping you?" Tucker said.

"Exactly. I left and went back into the Ghost Zone to find Clockwork, but before I got there…I was attacked."

"By your evil older self?" Sam asked.

"Wait—if he killed you, wouldn't he technically be killing himself?" Tucker said. "…Can he do that?"

"He said that now he exists outside of time and it doesn't matter what happens to me. Anyway, that's how I met Anna. When I escaped, I went through a door and it led me there—to Glidesdale. She gave me a ride home and then you guys met her before she left the next afternoon. And then…nothing happened for almost two months after the funeral…

"Then suddenly, my ghost sense…it'd be triggered and nothing would ever happen. Until the last day of school… When I went to the bathroom, I was actually going to look for whatever had set it off. I found him and…we fought. Dash came in the locker room and…well, you can guess the rest."

"Wow…talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time," Tucker said.

"That night, I went to see Vlad again, but he still refuses to even listen to me. I couldn't get to sleep last night…it was about to drive me crazy, and I really needed to talk to someone…that's why I messaged you."

"So…why'd you freak out when we were talking?" Sam asked.

"Because…I thought—I _know_ that I saw him in your window. I was afraid that…he might…well, you get the point. I didn't want to tell you sooner because I was afraid he might try to attack you. But when I saw him in your window, Sam…I knew that it didn't matter whether I told you or not—he might still try something… I decided that it would be better for you to know and be on your guard." A tense silence fell over them as things set in.

"So…what do we do?" Sam asked.

"I dunno…" Danny said. He stared out the window for a moment before transforming in a bright blue flash. "Guys…I need you two to cover for me."

"Why?" Tucker asked.

"Danny, what're you gonna do?" Sam questioned, standing from his bed.

Danny turned to face them. "I'm going to find Clockwork."

"Alright, so you two will be at Sam's just in case my parents call to check up on me," Danny said. He stood outside the Ghost Portal.

"Yeah, and you'll contact us on my PDA if you need backup," Tucker said.

"Danny…" Sam began. "Are you sure you don't want us to follow you in the Specter Speeder? I mean, wouldn't it—"

"No, Sam," Danny said. "This is something I have to do…I don't want either of you getting hurt. You have the portable Ghost Shield, right?"

"No need," Tucker said. "I'm downloading the signature on to my PDA. Think of it like WiFi...except instead of connecting to the Internet, it connects to the Ghost Shield."

"I've got it just in case," Sam assured. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Yeah…" Danny smiled. "If I'm not back in a few hours, then…something probably went wrong. But whatever you do, _don't_ come in after me." He turned to the Ghost Zone and took one final glance back to his friends before heading off.

The Ghost Zone was as creepy as ever, twisting and turning into endless voids. Danny pulled out the incomplete map, and began studying it. _'Let's just hope I can _find_ him,'_ he thought. Finally, he headed off, passing doors and random objects. The path _seemed _familiar, and Danny decided that he would just hope he was heading in the right direction. As he pressed onward, a feeling of dread crept up his spine. Eyes glanced around cautiously, searching for anything sign of movement, before continuing.

At last, Danny found the castle surrounded by clocks and gears. Without hesitation he entered.

"Clockwork?" he asked loudly as he glided inside. "A-anyone home?" No answer. The circular screen that usually showed a scene from time was dark, and he stared at it for moment before continuing his search. The table was exactly as he'd left it, the destroyed Fenton Thermos still on top of its scorched surface. Nothing had been changed since he'd been here over two months ago.

After searching the entire castle twice over, he turned up empty handed. Again, there was no sign of the Master of Time. _'I should probably let Sam and Tucker know…'_ Danny sighed. He really hated to be the bearer of even more bad news, but it couldn't be helped. _'It can wait until I get back,'_ he decided. Disappointed, Danny left the empty castle behind and followed the map back towards home. Just as before, his stomach knotted apprehensively, and his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth dryly. And the further he went, the worse the anxiety became. Rather than ignoring the feeling as he had last time, Danny decided to investigate. If it was a threat, he really could use something to blow off steam.

"Alright," he said. "I know you're there. Whoever you are, just come out and fight already." Nothing. Yet the apprehension persisted. Confused, he looked around. A little ways away from him, something caught his eye. Bright orange drifted through the Ghost Zone, and Danny curiously glided towards it. As he closed the distance, he could tell that the orange was mixed with a vivid glowing green. _'I've never seen a ghost like _that_ before,'_ Danny thought.

Finally he knew the mass was, and his heart sunk heavily in his chest. "No…" Danny whispered. "No…it…this can't be…"

*~*~*0*~*~*

With the Ghost Shield on, Sam and Tucker sat in silence as they waited for something to happen. Sam anxiously kept her eye on Tucker's PDA as he played several rounds of pong.

"I can't take this!" Sam finally said. "What if something happens to him?"

"Relax, Sam," Tucker said. "I think Danny knows what he's doing…besides, his evil self can't _really_ kill him, right?"

"You heard what Danny said."

"Yeah, but that could've been a bluff."

"I'm sure he wouldn't've been almost _strangled_ if he weren't serious, Tucker," Sam argued, lying back on her bed to stare at the ceiling.

"But just because he exists outside of time doesn't mean that if Danny dies he won't die, right?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Sam replied, looking over at him. "Isn't that why Danny's going to find Clockwork?"

"Guess you're right," Tucker said, leaning against the bed. "Let's just hope that Clockwork will have some answers."

There was another silence between them. "He's been gone for over an hour," Sam said, looking back over to him. "Maybe we should check on him."

"Sam, relax. Danny said that it would take a couple of hours," Tucker replied.

"Actually, he said to start _worrying_ in a couple of hours," she corrected as she sat up.

"And he's only been gone for…" Tucker said as he calculated the exact time, "One hour, eleven minutes, and twenty-three seconds. He still has another forty-eight minutes and forty-seven seconds before we need to worry. In the meantime," Tucker said, pulling up another game on his PDA. Sam rolled her eyes before falling back to the bed.

*~*~*0*~*~*

Danny fell to the cold floor of his parents' lab, untangling the rope that was wrapped around… _'This can't be happening,' _he thought. A sudden gasp came from behind him, and he turned quickly

"Jack…" Maddie whispered, dropping the gadget in her hand. She ran over to the lifeless body of Jack Fenton. His body was cold and stiff; his eyes were closed. She hung her head over him for a moment. "You…" she said. "You did this!" She grabbed the nearest weapon and took aim.

"M-Mo—Maddie! No—listen to me!" Danny said. "I didn't—I just found him in the Ghost Zone!" She fired; Danny managed to dodge and quickly turned intangible to go through the basement ceiling. By the time he had gotten outside, Maddie had already powered up the Ghost Shield. Quickly, he contacted Sam and Tucker. "Guys! I need you to lower the Ghost Shield at my house—now!"

"I'm on it Danny," Tucker said as he began to hack the system.

"Danny, what's going on?!" Sam said as a beam blasted passed him. Suddenly, the Ghost Shield lowered; Danny didn't hesitate.

"Put it back up," Danny said. It was only a couple of minutes later when he phased through the walls of Sam's room.

"Danny, what happened back there?" Sam asked. Danny fell to his hands and knees; panting as he changed back to his human form.

"Danny, are you okay?" Tucker asked. "You…look like you've seen a ghost. Or, something we _don't_ see every day," he joked. Sam elbowed him hard in the ribs.

"Danny, talk to us—what happened?" she asked again, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I…" he began. Suddenly, the phone rang. "That's Mom…" he said. Sam exchanged unsure looks with Tucker before she answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Sam? This is Maddie," the voice on the other end of the phone began. "Could you tell Danny to come home?"

"Um, sure—do you wanna talk to him?" she asked.

"No, just give him the message," Maddie said. "And…let him know that he's not in trouble."

"Okay…"

"Thank you, Sam." The conversation ended and she heard a click on the other end. She hesitated, then hung up.

"That was…your mom…she wants you to come home," Sam said. "Danny, what—?"

"I'll explain it later," Danny said, standing. "I have to get home." He headed out of Sam's room and down the stairs. He didn't run—he was already out of breath—but walked quickly down the street. It took him about five minutes to reach his doorstep. He took in a deep breath before opening the door.

Maddie sat on the couch; Jack was nowhere to be found. "Mom?"

"Danny!" she said. She walked over to him and hugged him. "Danny…there's something I need to talk to you about. Sit down, sweetie." He obeyed and sat down on the couch; Maddie sat beside him.

"Where's Dad?" Danny asked, bracing himself.

"That's what I needed to talk to you about," she said. Her voice was quiet and shaky. "Your father…he…he's gone. He…was killed…" Danny could tell it was hard for her to admit.

"What? What happened?" Danny said, feigning shock.

"Do you remember last week when that boy from your school was killed by that ghost?" she asked.

"Yeah…" Danny said, his skin crawling with guilt.

"That ghost…he killed your father," she accused.

"How do you know it was that ghost?" he asked innocently.

"When I was in the lab earlier, he came out of the Ghost Zone with…your father…he was already gone…" Danny decided against pressing the subject further right now; he could tell she was trying hard not to break down. Danny hugged her. "I'll destroy that ghost," she said, hugging him back. "If it's the last thing I do, I'll destroy him."

Knowing that his mother refused to break down in front of him, Danny slowly climbed the stairs and into his dark room. Fingers reached for the light switch when he suddenly felt eyes upon him. Ready to 'go ghost' at any moment, he flipped the light switch.

The bed was unmade and clothes littered the floor; nothing seemed to have been moved, and there was no sign of a presence. He sighed at his paranoia; it was nothing…figures. Danny picked up his laptop before plopping down on his bed. He logged on to the webcam and saw that Sam and Tucker were already online. Before he could prepare himself, Sam began a webcam session with him.

"Danny—is everything okay?" Sam asked as Tucker came into the screen.

"No…not really," he replied.

"What happened?" Tucker asked.

"When I was in the Ghost Zone…I…" he sighed. "I found my dad…he…was already dead when I found him…"

"Wait, your _dad_ was in the Ghost Zone?" Tucker repeated.

"Why did he go in there without some kind of protection?" Sam inquired.

"I dunno, but I have a feeling he had help getting in there…" Danny said.

"Is your mom okay?" she asked.

"Hardly," Danny replied. "To make things worse, she thinks _I_ did it…"

"Why would she think that?" Tucker asked.

"When I came out of the Ghost Zone, she was in the lab, and, well…everybody already thinks I killed Dash, I can't say I blame her for assuming it was me…"

"So…what happens now?" Tucker asked.

"We can't just sit here—we _have_ to do something!" Sam said.

"_We_ don't have to do anything," Danny said. "I want you two to stay under a Ghost Shield. I don't want either of you to get hurt…"

"But Danny—"

"No 'buts', Sam," Danny interrupted. "Neither of you are going to get killed because of me."

"What about you?" Tucker asked.

"I'm gonna find him…and make him pay for everything," Danny replied. "If mom asks…"

"We know, you're spending the night over here," Sam said. "Be careful, Danny."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **Wow, no reviews last chapter? I figured that would be one to talk about! Well, regardless, here is Chapter Eight. Enjoy! Don't forget to review! :)

**Chapter Eight**

He flew silently and invisibly through the night sky. The whole town was on the lookout for him, and he really didn't want to fight his mom. _'I don't get it—where is he hiding? My Ghost Sense should lead me straight to him…I've checked everywhere…'_ Danny sighed as he stopped to think of any places left unchecked.

Suddenly, a blast from behind barely missed him. Eyes rapidly scanned the air around him, searching for the source. Maddie stood on an air board similar to Valerie's, gun aimed. _'She can see me?'_ he thought, dodging another blast. She wore goggles that had some sort of eye piece over one eye. _'That must be the Disguise Breaker!'_

"Give it up ghost!" Maddie yelled. "This device lets me see you even if you're invisible."

Danny turned visible. "Look, can't we just…talk?"

"No. We can't," she replied, taking aim again. Danny fled quickly, but on the air board Maddie was just as fast. He led her to the park, hoping to lose her in the trees as he had Valerie so many times before. Unfortunately, his mom was a much better hunter than Valerie. She wasn't thrown off even slightly by the terrain. Beams shot passed, and Danny barely managed to keep her at bay. Deciding he was at a disadvantage, he flew upward out of the trees.

Maddie matched his move and flew above him. In one clean shot, she blasted him down; Danny fell into the trees below, slamming into the ground. The blast shorted his powers. He stood, dazed. Danny heard the sound of the air board nearing and quickly changed back. Thinking fast, he intangibly phased into a tree. He only hoped the Disguise Breaker wouldn't spot him. Maddie paused over the cratered ground where he had landed and he dared himself to breathe as she came nearer. Finally, she took off, searching the rest of the area. Invisible and thankfully unnoticed, he flew away from Amity Park.

*~*~*0*~*~*

Danny had a feeling that Vlad knew who was banging on his door because he took his sweet time getting there. The door cracked open, and Vlad's brows furrowed. "Daniel, I've told you before—"

"Vlad…I need you to listen to me," Danny panted. His clothes were tattered and he was covered in small scrapes. Vlad began to protest, but sighed in defeat and stepped aside so Danny could enter. "Thank you…"

"Don't thank me, Danny," Vlad said. "Listening isn't the same as helping." He led Danny to the sitting area, where Danny sat down as Vlad got him a glass of water. Quietly thanking him, Danny took a sip.

"This is going to take a while to explain," Danny said. Vlad allowed him to proceed. Seeing how Vlad knew none of the story, Danny decided the best place to start would be the beginning…the CATs last year. He explained everything he could.

"And now…he's killed Dad," Danny finally said. "And Mom thinks _I_ killed him and wants to destroy me…and earlier tonight…she almost found out that I'm part ghost. Vlad…I don't know what to do—I need your help."

"He killed Jack?" Vlad said, a bit shocked. Danny nodded sadly. Vlad thought for a moment before standing. "Come with me, Danny." Danny stood and followed him to his lab. Vlad pressed a button that made a soft beep as it activated.

"A Ghost Shield?" Danny asked.

"Precisely," Vlad replied.

"But…why…?"

"Daniel," Vlad sighed. "There's something you should know. You see, I've known about this 'older self,' or 'Daniel,' as he calls himself, for a little while now."

"You have?!" Danny replied in awe. "But…how?"

"Well…strange as it may sound, he's been staying here in my castle for months," Vlad admitted. Danny eyes widened with fright as he backed away from Vlad. "Not willingly, mind you," Vlad added. Danny sighed with relief.

"He's…not here _now_, is he?" he asked.

"My exact reason for activating my Ghost Shield." Vlad paced as he spoke. "You see, he first came about…three months ago. He arrived just before you came by the first time. I was told if I helped you, it would be my life."

"So…that's why you kicked me out before? Because he was here?" Danny asked. Things were slowly starting to make sense. "But why are you helping me this time?"

"Because I could tell something bad had happened, Danny," he replied. "He never told me that he intended to harm anyone…much less kill them."

"If I don't stop him, I have a feeling he'll keep killing," Danny sighed. "I just…wish I knew how to stop him…"

"You and I both," Vlad admitted. "The most I can offer is a place for you to stay the night."

"I…I dunno," Danny said. "I…hate to leave Mom alone. And besides, if he comes back, then…well, I think it'd be better if I went home…"

"Fair enough," Vlad agreed. "I can understand where you're coming from."

"We'll be in touch?" Danny asked.

"Of course, Danny," Vlad smiled, lowering the Ghost Shield. Danny smiled as he transformed to his ghost form and left for Amity Park

*~*~*0*~*~*

After finally phasing through their Ghost Shield as human, Danny flew through the window and changed back.

"Any luck?" Tucker yawned.

"No…" he sighed. "Mom is diligently hunting me down. She came this close—" he demonstrated with his fingers, "—to finding out that I'm part ghost."

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"I dunno, but whatever weapon she was using shorted my powers out," he replied.

"You mean she actually _hit_ you?" Tucker asked.

"Yeah, and it hurt, too," Danny said rubbing his back.

"Here, let me take a look," Sam said. She helped Danny lift his shirt. The majority of his back was burned, the skin a deep reddish-purple. "No wonder—your back is burned, bad."

"Ouch," Tucker winced. "Maybe you should get that checked out…"

"No…" Danny said. "If I say something to Mom, she'll want an explanation that…well, I can't give her. Just…don't worry about it; I'll be fine."

"So…what happened?" Tucker said.

"I was…looking for him, and…" Danny sighed. "My parents made this new device called the 'Fenton Disguise Breaker'. They said that it allows them to see a ghost—even if it's invisible. I didn't think about it when I left…"

"So that's how she saw you?" Sam asked.

"That stinks," Tucker said.

"Yeah…after she hit me, I left as fast as I could. I went to see Vlad…"

"Again?" Tucker asked.

"Yeah, but this time…he actually listened to me," Danny said. "I explained everything to him and…"

"…And?" Sam said. Danny let out a breath.

"Well…Vlad knew about…my older self…"

"What?!" Tucker exclaimed.

"How?" Sam chimed.

"He's been staying there…against Vlad's will," Danny explained. "And told Vlad if he helped me…it would mean his life—he would _kill_ Vlad."

"So…why'd he help you this time?" Sam asked.

"Because of my dad," Danny replied.

"Wait, I thought he _hated_ your dad," Tucker said.

"I did, too, but…I think maybe deep down he really didn't," Danny admitted. "Anyway, he said we'd be 'in touch'."

"You mean he's gonna let you know what your evil, older self is up to?" Sam asked.

"That's _awesome_!" Tucker exclaimed.

"I don't know if that's what he meant or not, but…either way, it's good to know he's on our side," Danny yawned.

"Why don't we get some rest," Sam said. "It's been a long night." For the first time, Danny looked at the clock; the display read two thirty-two.

*~*~*0*~*~*

In the two weeks after Jack's death, Maddie and Danny had been growing apart. In fear of slipping up, Danny avoided having long conversations with her and she spent most nights searching for Danny Phantom, the ghost she believed killed her husband. Valerie hadn't been hanging out with Danny as much, either. Daniel hadn't shown up since the incident, and Vlad had yet to make contact.

With her perfect timing, Anna came to cheer him up when he needed it most. Sam, Tucker, and Danny were having lunch at the Nasty Burger when she came.

"Your mother said I might find you here," she said, smiling as she walked over to the booth.

"Anna," Danny stood with surprise. "I haven't seen you in a while." As they hugged, Danny felt his Ghost Sense. He looked around quickly.

"I heard about your father," she offered. "I'm very sorry for your loss."

"Thanks…it…means a lot," Danny smiled.

"So, what've you been up to, Anna?" Tucker asked as Danny invited her to join them.

"Not anything of importance," she replied.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" Sam asked skeptically.

"What I said. Nothing very exciting or important," she corrected. "What about the two of you?"

"Same," Tucker responded. Sam didn't answer.

"And you?" Anna asked.

"I've been just _peachy_," she said, rolling her eyes.

After a few hours at the arcade, they parted; Sam and Tucker to their houses, and Anna with Danny to his house. When Danny entered the den, his mom wasn't anywhere to be found, which had become typical; she was usually out hunting for the ghost around sunset.

"So, how long are you planning to stay?" Danny asked, sitting on the couch.

"I'm not certain; how long am I allowed to stay?" Anna returned, sitting beside him.

"Well, really that's up to our Moms," he said.

"My mother said I could stay as long as I like," she replied.

"Really? Why's that?"

"Well…our…house burned down a few days ago…and…" her voice trailed.

"Sorry to hear that—was everyone alright?"

"Fine," she replied. "Mom is staying with…my grandmother, but there wasn't a place for me to sleep. I told her I would find somewhere to stay…and…"

"And so you came here?" Danny finished.

"Yes. I was hoping I might be able to stay here for a little while," she confessed.

"I'll talk to my mom," Danny smiled. It was then Danny noticed a letter addressed to him on the coffee table. Curiously, he broke the seal.

_Danny,_

_I hope things are going well for you and your mother. I had hoped to contact you sooner, but have been unable to due to circumstances. Thus far, Daniel has yet to inform me of any plans. _

_It seems as though he has lost some trust in me, which is why I had not contacted you sooner. He has been gone for several days now, and I can assume he is in Amity Park. I can also assume he will strike before this letter reaches you._

_Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you and your mother. I will gladly help. If you like, we can work something out so that I can teach you what I know._

—_Vlad_

Danny smiled as he read the note and folded it back into the envelope.

"Not to intrude, but who was that from?" Anna asked.

"Oh—no one. Just a friend. I'll be right back," Danny said, stuffing the letter in his pocket. He crossed through the empty kitchen and towards the basement door.

"Could I join you?" she asked.

"Uh…sure—but don't touch _anything_." He opened the door and walked down the dark stairs. With a quiet flick, he turned on the light switch.

"The lab…" Anna said, looking around.

"Yeah…" Danny said, walking down the stairs. "This is their lab." He walked over to a button near the Ghost Portal that read "Ghost Shield" over it. "I just have to activate the Ghost Shield, and then we can go back upstairs.

As his hand reached for the button, Danny saw his Ghost Sense slip out. Before he could react, a sharp pain in his neck sent him whirling into unconsciousness. He hit the floor with a loud thump.

"Danny? Danny!" she yelled running to his side. He didn't respond.

"He's unconscious," Anna said. A spiral of green smoke appeared around her as her body changed form.

"Good," Daniel said, smirking. He reached into Danny's pocket and pulled out the wadded letter. Furious eyes scanned the page, and his smirk faded. "So, Vlad has decided to help him. I suppose I should take care of him now before he becomes more than a mere annoyance," Daniel thought out loud. Lips pursed as he plotted for a moment.

"Or perhaps…" he smirked. "I think I'll let Vlad play this little game of his. Perhaps one of them will be out of my way soon enough."

*~*~*0*~*~*

"Danny? Danny, are you alright? Danny!" Hands shook furiously at his limp body. Danny heard a voice calling him and he urged his eyes to open.

"W-wha…?" he groaned; sitting up, he rubbed his head. "What…what happened?"

"I don't know," Anna replied from beside him. "You collapsed all of a sudden. Come on; let's go upstairs—you should lie down."

"Yeah…okay," Danny said as he stood. "Oh, the Ghost Shield—"

"I've already activated it," she said with a smile. Danny peered at her skeptically. "All you have to do is press this button, correct? It isn't all that complicated, Danny," she added when Danny nodded. "Let's go upstairs." She followed Danny upstairs and back to the den. He laid down on the couch and Anna sat across from him in the chair.

*~*~*0*~*~*

Danny woke the next morning, still on the couch. His head rested on his pillow and a blanket had been thrown over him. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease the ache from the night before. From the kitchen, the smell of eggs and bacon wafted through the air, and Danny smiled as he stood. As he suspected, Maddie stood by the stove diligently cooking Saturday morning breakfast. He glanced at the clock on the wall; it was almost ten in the morning.

"Oh—good morning, Danny!" Maddie said as she glanced back to see her son standing in the doorway. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Huh?"

"Anna said you weren't feeling well last night," she said, bringing the plate of bacon to the table. "She said you passed out."

"Oh…yeah…" he remembered. "Just…stood up to fast or something. I'm fine." Of course, Danny had lied. His neck twinged with a dull throb; he never could figure out what happened down there. Suddenly, a cold breath escaped from between chapped lips.

"Something smells delicious in here," Anna said, appearing beside Danny in the doorway. "It's good to hear you are feeling well. I was worried about you last night."

"Yeah…sorry about that," Danny said. The three sat down and ate. When they finished, Danny helped clear the table and wash dishes.

"So, what plans do you have today?" Anna asked.

"I'm gonna meet Sam and Tucker later at the arcade and…probably just hang out with them for a while," Danny replied. "You wanna come?"

"No thanks," Anna said. "I…have some laundry to do, and I thought I might go see Mom today."

Danny shrugged and she headed upstairs. Meanwhile, Danny pulled out a sheet of paper and began writing.

_Vlad,_

_It's really good to hear from you. I was a little worried there. No signs of Daniel yet, but thanks for the heads up. I think he might be laying low for a while. Mom is holding up okay, but she still won't listen to me. She still thinks I killed Dad. I'm afraid she might find out that I'm Danny Phantom and snap. I don't think she'd believe me even if I did tell her, but I still think she'd flip. I could use the training—I might be able to beat him that way. I haven't figured out much, but one thing I know is that I'm the one that has to beat him. I don't know how we can work it out, but I am totally for it. I'm hoping you have some ideas._

_Thanks for everything,_

_Danny_

He read the letter again before folding it and shoving it in an envelope. He grabbed a stamp from his mother's stash and stuck it in the top right corner. Danny wrote his address in the upper left corner and carefully copied Vlad's return address from the letter he'd received. Vlad's letter was stuffed into his pocket and the other lifted from the table.

"I'm gonna go meet Sam and Tucker!" Danny yelled down to Maddie in the basement.

"Alright, sweetie! I'll see you later," Maddie shouted back.

Danny waited for a response from Anna, but heard none. He shrugged; she must've already left to go see her mom. With a bang, the front door closed behind him. He couldn't wait to tell Sam and Tucker about Vlad's letter. But first, he had to make a detour to the post office.

"'Bout time you got here!" Tucker said from his game station.

"What took you so long?" Sam asked. "You were supposed to be here like…fifteen minutes ago!"

"Sorry, I…had to run an errand," Danny replied, taking the station beside her.

"Is…everything okay, Danny?" Sam asked.

"For once, sort of," he replied. Sam and Tucker exchanged looks. "I got this in the mail last night." He handed the letter to Sam; Tucker read over her shoulder. "It's from Vlad."

"He's gonna _train_ you?" Sam said.

"I thought you said he couldn't help you because of your older jerkier self?" Tucker said.

"Vlad's going to try to work something out where he won't know about it," Danny replied.

"He also says that 'Daniel' will probably strike soon," Sam said.

"I know, but…I haven't seen him anywhere and if he was going to do something, he would've done it by now. I think he might just be laying low for a little while," Danny reassured. "Besides, this will give me a chance to get stronger—strong enough to beat him."

"Awesome!" Tucker exclaimed.

"I…I'm not sure about this…" Sam said unsurely as she handed the letter back to Danny.

"What's not to be sure of?" Danny replied. "Vlad is my only chance at beating him, Sam."

"What about Clockwork?" she countered.

"I…don't think I could handle going back into the Ghost Zone…" Danny sighed. "Not after…what happened last time…"

"He has a point Sam," Tucker added.

"And besides, he hasn't been there at all since this whole mess started," Danny said. "I don't think he wants to help this time…I…think it's up to me this time."

Sam sighed, defeated. "I guess you're right."

"So, any ideas on how Vlad's going to help without your evil self figuring it out?" Tucker asked.

"Not yet," Danny replied. "I wrote him back and took the letter to the post office before I came here—that's what took so long," he smiled at Sam. "Now all I can do is wait…and hope that Daniel doesn't go through Vlad's mail."

The three left the arcade a little while later, and headed over to the Nasty Burger for lunch. Danny felt his stomach turn when Kwan, Paulina, and Valerie entered the restaurant; Sam and Tucker seemed not to notice them. It was strange—he hadn't really seen the three since the ordeal with Dash. Though Paulina and Valerie seemed okay, it wasn't hard to tell that Kwan was still recovering from the loss of his good friend.

Danny silently watched as they ordered. Eyes locked with his as Valerie caught sight of him. She turned and quickly led them to a booth across the restaurant. It wasn't long after that Danny, Sam, and Tucker went their separate ways.


	9. Chapter 9

******Author's Note: **...Nothing, huh? Well, I know the last chapter drug a little, but things are starting to pick up. The stakes are getting higher as the conclusion draws near... Here's the next chapter! Enjoy! Please don't forget to take a moment to review!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>

"Surprised to see me?" Danny turned quickly; he knew that voice.

"Vlad?" he said with a little bit of shock. "What are you doing here—did you get my letter?" Vlad nodded. "Oh…I'm guessing that's why you're here?"

"Correct," Vlad said, landing beside him. "Several days ago, actually. Daniel has yet to return—I'm thinking you might have been right to say he is 'laying low for a while.' I decided this might be a good opportunity to show you what I know."

"Okay," Danny said. He looked around before changing into his ghost form. "I have to be home in about an hour and a half, but I've got a little time."

Vlad took Danny to a more secluded area where no one would get in the way of practice fire; they headed to the park. He started with the basics that Danny didn't have. They worked for about an hour before Danny decided to head home.

"So…are you staying in Amity Park or going home?" Danny asked.

"I was hoping to find a place to stay here," he replied. "Hotel, maybe."

"Hotel? Why don't you just 'come in for a visit' and stay with us?" Danny suggested.

"I don't know…" Vlad protested. "I'd hate to put your mother in that situation…"

"Honestly, I think she might enjoy seeing you, with you being friends from college and all," Danny said.

"You think so?"

"As long as you don't hit on her," Danny joked. "I think it would do her some good."

Vlad smiled. "Alright. You go ahead home, I'll come by later."

Danny nodded and headed home. It was only nine, but he was really tired. As he guessed, Maddie wasn't home; he headed upstairs. When he passed by Jazz's room, he noticed Anna asleep on the bed. Quietly, he went into his room and plopped onto his lumpy mattress. As usual, Danny grabbed his laptop from the floor; he logged on. Sam and Tucker started a session with him not long after, and Danny couldn't wait to tell them about Vlad. It had only been ten minutes before the doorbell rang.

Danny headed down stairs and to the front door. He looked through the peephole and smiled when he saw who was on the other side; he opened it.

"Hello, Daniel," Vlad said casually and as if they hadn't seen each other in ages. "Could I speak with your mother?"

"Sorry, Vlad," Danny replied. "She's not home. She's out looking for Danny Phantom. Come in."

"Thank you," Vlad said as he stepped inside. "What time is she usually back?"

"She usually stops by around nine thirty. You can talk to her then."

As expected, the front door quietly opened at nine thirty. Vlad had gone upstairs to the bathroom for a moment while Danny watched TV in the living room.

"Danny?" Maddie said, closing the door behind her.

"Hey Mom," Danny said from the couch. "Oh, uh…someone stopped by to see you."

"Really, who? You didn't tell them you were here _alone_ did you?" Maddie questioned.

"Relax, Mom. It was—"

"Why, hello Maddie," Vlad said as he reached the bottom of the staircase.

"…Vlad," Danny finished.

"Vlad? It's—er—nice to see you," Maddie said, smiling. "What brings you to here?"

"I…just thought I might stop by and see how the two of you were," Vlad explained. "I'm terribly sorry I didn't make it to the funeral. I had planned to come but…something—er—came up at the last second and my flight was cancelled."

"Sorry to hear that," Maddie replied. A couple of moments awkwardly slid by before she continued. "So, how long have you been here?"

"About five minutes—maybe ten," Vlad lied. "Daniel and I were just catching up."

"Really?" Maddie said, slightly surprised. She shot a raised-eyebrow look over to Danny who nodded innocently. "Well, that's nice. How long will you be in town?"

"A couple of days, I believe," Vlad said.

"Where are you staying?" she asked.

"Seeing how most of the hotels in town are full, I will surely have to find someplace outside of town…" Vlad lied.

"Why don't you stay with us?" Danny chimed. "If—er—it's okay with you, Mom…"

"Well…I don't know, Danny…" Maddie protested. "I mean, we already have your friend staying…"

"Oh, c'mon Mom," Danny argued. "Vlad doesn't mind sleeping on the couch, do you?"

"Now, Danny—if your mother says no, then you shouldn't protest," Vlad said. Danny gave a pouty face as he turned back to the television.

Maddie sighed. "I guess it couldn't hurt. All we have is the couch, though."

"That's quite alright with me, Maddie," Vlad smiled. With his mother's okay, Danny ran upstairs and grabbed a pillow and an extra blanket. He threw them on the couch for Vlad. Maddie bid them good night and headed back out to find Danny Phantom; she told Vlad she would explain later. Yawning, Danny turned in for the night as well.

*~*~*0*~*~*

Vlad woke with a fright as a cold chill crawled up his spine and his Ghost Sense was triggered. Quickly, he looked around. Movement could be heard from the kitchen; the sink cut on and a glass was filled with water…silence. Footsteps treaded softly towards the den; Vlad could see a silhouette in the doorway.

"Oh, did I wake you, Vlad?" she said, stepping into the little moonlight that flowed from the window.

"It's…quite alright," Vlad said, relaxing a little. "And…who might you be?"

"I'm Anna, a friend of Danny's," Anna replied.

"Nice to meet you," Vlad said with a little skepticism in his voice. "How did you know my name?"

"Oh, Danny mentioned you earlier," she smiled. "He didn't want the 'stranger on the couch' to frighten me."

"I see," Vlad said. "Well, it was nice to meet you."

"Likewise." With that, Anna headed back upstairs. A moment later, Vlad heard the door quietly close behind her. He gave one more glance around the room before lying back down.

Only hours later, morning sunshine spilled across the floor and onto Danny's eyelids. He woke quietly and sat up; neon letters read eight ten. Danny yawned as he rose from his bed. Quietly, Danny tiptoed towards the bathroom.

Suddenly, a cold breath slid between his lips. Danny froze; he looked around cautiously, looking for any signs of _anything_ out of place. He creaked open the door to Jazz's room. Anna was still sound asleep on Jazz's bed. Danny walked to the top of the staircase; Vlad was stretched out comfortably on the couch. Anxious ears listened for the slightest sound of movement. Nothing…Danny turned and quietly closed the bathroom door behind him.

It wasn't much later that the usual smells of Saturday morning filled the house. Danny had gone back into his room and was quietly watching television. It didn't take long for him to doze. A light knock on his door woke him.

"Come in," he yawned.

"Get up, sleepy head," Maddie smiled. "Breakfast is ready." Danny flipped off the TV and headed downstairs. Vlad was in the kitchen, setting the table.

"…You can cook?" Danny asked, watching Vlad stir a pot on the stove.

"Of course I can _cook_, Danny," Vlad said, setting the pot on the table.

"Hm…I didn't know you could cook," Danny shrugged, sitting at the table.

"_I didn't know you could cook," Jack's voice rang out from behind him._

"_Well, I've been watching Mom do it and thought 'hey, how hard could it be?'" Danny replied._

Danny smiled a little as he remembered that morning—it had been the last _normal_ Saturday morning he'd had…the Saturday before Jazz…

"Oh, I'll go get Anna," Danny said, standing and leaving the kitchen. When he reached Jazz's room, the door was ajar. He pushed it open to reveal an empty, unmade bed. Curiously, he walked down the hallway. The bathroom door was closed. He knocked.

"Anna?" Danny said. "Breakfast is ready."

"I'll—er, be down in a few minutes," she replied. "I'm…in the shower."

"Oh…uh, okay," Danny said. He headed back to the kitchen. "She said she'd be down in a few minutes." Maddie nodded.

"Vlad, this is delicious," she said as she swallowed a mouthful of eggs and bacon.

"Thank you, Maddie," Vlad replied.

The three ate in silence for few minutes. Danny reached for his glass of orange juice. Just as the rim of the glass touched his lips, his Ghost Sense puffed out, frosting glass. Eyes glanced around quickly and fixed on Vlad when he noticed that he was also scanning the room cautiously. Their eyes met with a silent message.

"The food smells great," Anna said, stopping by the table.

"Oh, Vlad," Danny began, "This is Anna; Anna, Vlad. Vlad's a…friend of the family."

"It's a _pleasure_ to meet you, Vlad," Anna said, sitting.

"Likewise, my dear," Vlad replied. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be back in one moment."

"It's quite alright, Vlad," Maddie said. Vlad stood from the table and, with a hinting look towards Danny, left the room. Danny waited a moment before speaking.

"I'll—uh—be right back," he said. "I'm…gonna run to the bathroom." Before his mother could say anything, he followed Vlad. Vlad signaled him to head upstairs. "You, too?" Danny said softly.

"My Ghost Sense," Vlad replied, almost whispering. "This is the second time since I got here that that's happened."

"Second?" Danny said a little louder. Vlad shushed him. "When was the first time?"

"Last night," Vlad replied. "I was asleep and it woke me. That friend of yours, Anna, was in the kitchen. Then this morning, she walks into the kitchen and both of our Ghost Senses are triggered…"

"Where do you think he's hiding?" Danny asked. "He's most likely invisible—do you think he's just messing with us?"

"I _highly_ doubt that, Danny," Vlad replied. "If he were to discover that I'm here, then it would mean trouble for the both of us. I'm going to have a look around." With that, he transformed and turned invisible.

"Okay, I'll head back to the kitchen so they don't get suspicious," Danny said. He headed back downstairs and went into the kitchen. Danny hesitated when his Ghost Sense was triggered again. _'It's probably just Vlad…'_ Danny reassured himself.

"Where's Vlad?" Anna asked as Danny sat down.

"Oh, he'll be back in just a second," Danny replied. "He just, uh…had to step outside and get some fresh air. He said he got a little hot cooking breakfast."

"Is he alright?" Maddie asked from the sink. She came back over to the table and picked up the empty frying pan.

"Uh, yeah. He—" Danny hesitated as his Ghost Sense slipped out once more. No one else seemed to notice. "…said he was fine." Danny stood and helped his mom finish cleaning off the table. Anna headed back upstairs, and Vlad came in just as the last plate was rinsed and laid in the sink. Danny looked at him hopefully; Vlad shook his head.

"Well, I hope everyone enjoyed breakfast," he said.

"I know I enjoyed it," Danny said, watching the sink fill up with dishwater.

"It was great," Maddie smiled.

"I'll get the dishes, Mom," Danny said.

"Well, thank you, Danny," Maddie hugged him. "You know where I'll be if you need me." She headed downstairs to the lab, closing the door behind her.

"So…you didn't find him?" Danny asked after a moment.

"No," Vlad replied. "I think you might be right—he may be hiding invisibly…or perhaps…"

"What?" Danny asked when Vlad didn't finish.

"Danny, did you mention me to your friend last night?"

"Yeah, I told her that you were sleeping on the couch so that—"

"'The stranger on the couch wouldn't frighten' her…" Vlad finished.

"Yeah…how'd you know that?"

"Never mind that," Vlad said. "Did you mention my _name _to her?"

"I…don't know…I might've?" Danny replied, trying to remember what he said. "Why does that matter?"

"Because," Vlad explained, "When she went into the kitchen last night, she knew my name."

"I…must've mentioned it to her when I was telling her you were downstairs," Danny shrugged. "It's really not that big of a deal."

"Haven't you noticed whenever she comes into the room, your Ghost Sense is triggered?" Vlad asked quietly. Almost on cue, Anna walked entered. As she approached, Vlad and Danny's Ghost Senses were triggered simultaneously. Vlad shot Danny a slight 'I-told-you-so' look.

"Would you two like any help?" Anna smiled.

"No, thank you," Vlad said before Danny could speak. "I think we're just about done. Thanks for the offer."

"Alright then," Anna said. She turned on her heel and left.

"You see?" Vlad said after a moment.

"Something doesn't feel right…" Danny said, almost whispering. "Do you think it has something to do with Daniel?"

"Hard to say," Vlad replied.

"You don't think…" Danny said. He dropped the plate he was washing back into the dish water. "What if she's his next target?"

"I suppose it's _plausible_," Vlad replied thoughtfully.

"Oh, no…" Danny half groaned. "I have to stop him—I have to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone else."

"For now, all you can do is watch over her," Vlad said.

Once the dishes were done, Danny left to met Sam and Tucker at the arcade. He finally talked Anna into tagging along—much to Sam's dismay. He gave her an 'I'll explain later' at some point. The day was spent as usual—just playing Doom and arcade games. They went their separate ways around sunset and Danny told Anna he'd catch up with her later; Danny had an appointment at the park. Practicing different things wasn't easy, but he hoped that it would help. The next couple of days passed the same way—totally uneventful.

Danny was starting to think that Daniel really was just laying low.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the long hiatus - a lot has been going on. However, I am posting **THREE** chapters this morning to make up for it. I'll post the last few hopefully next week. Enjoy! Don't forget how I love my reviews! :)

**Chapter Ten**

He flew silently and invisibly through the night sky. The whole town was on the lookout for him, and he really didn't want to fight his mom. _'I don't get it—where is he hiding? My Ghost Sense should lead me straight to him…I've checked everywhere…'_ Danny sighed as he stopped to think of any places left unchecked.

Suddenly, a blast from behind barely missed him. Eyes rapidly scanned the air around him, searching for the source. Maddie stood on an air board similar to Valerie's, gun aimed. _'She can see me?'_ he thought, dodging another blast. She wore goggles that had some sort of eye piece over one eye. _'That must be the Disguise Breaker!'_

"Give it up ghost!" Maddie yelled. "This device lets me see you even if you're invisible."

Danny turned visible. "Look, can't we just…talk?"

"No. We can't," she replied, taking aim again. Danny fled quickly, but on the air board Maddie was just as fast. He led her to the park, hoping to lose her in the trees as he had Valerie so many times before. Unfortunately, his mom was a much better hunter than Valerie. She wasn't thrown off even slightly by the terrain. Beams shot passed, and Danny barely managed to keep her at bay. Deciding he was at a disadvantage, he flew upward out of the trees.

Maddie matched his move and flew above him. In one clean shot, she blasted him down; Danny fell into the trees below, slamming into the ground. The blast shorted his powers. He stood, dazed. Danny heard the sound of the air board nearing and quickly changed back. Thinking fast, he intangibly phased into a tree. He only hoped the Disguise Breaker wouldn't spot him. Maddie paused over the cratered ground where he had landed and he dared himself to breathe as she came nearer. Finally, she took off, searching the rest of the area. Invisible and thankfully unnoticed, he flew away from Amity Park.

*~*~*0*~*~*

Danny had a feeling that Vlad knew who was banging on his door because he took his sweet time getting there. The door cracked open, and Vlad's brows furrowed. "Daniel, I've told you before—"

"Vlad…I need you to listen to me," Danny panted. His clothes were tattered and he was covered in small scrapes. Vlad began to protest, but sighed in defeat and stepped aside so Danny could enter. "Thank you…"

"Don't thank me, Danny," Vlad said. "Listening isn't the same as helping." He led Danny to the sitting area, where Danny sat down as Vlad got him a glass of water. Quietly thanking him, Danny took a sip.

"This is going to take a while to explain," Danny said. Vlad allowed him to proceed. Seeing how Vlad knew none of the story, Danny decided the best place to start would be the beginning…the CATs last year. He explained everything he could.

"And now…he's killed Dad," Danny finally said. "And Mom thinks _I_ killed him and wants to destroy me…and earlier tonight…she almost found out that I'm part ghost. Vlad…I don't know what to do—I need your help."

"He killed Jack?" Vlad said, a bit shocked. Danny nodded sadly. Vlad thought for a moment before standing. "Come with me, Danny." Danny stood and followed him to his lab. Vlad pressed a button that made a soft beep as it activated.

"A Ghost Shield?" Danny asked.

"Precisely," Vlad replied.

"But…why…?"

"Daniel," Vlad sighed. "There's something you should know. You see, I've known about this 'older self,' or 'Daniel,' as he calls himself, for a little while now."

"You have?!" Danny replied in awe. "But…how?"

"Well…strange as it may sound, he's been staying here in my castle for months," Vlad admitted. Danny eyes widened with fright as he backed away from Vlad. "Not willingly, mind you," Vlad added. Danny sighed with relief.

"He's…not here _now_, is he?" he asked.

"My exact reason for activating my Ghost Shield." Vlad paced as he spoke. "You see, he first came about…three months ago. He arrived just before you came by the first time. I was told if I helped you, it would be my life."

"So…that's why you kicked me out before? Because he was here?" Danny asked. Things were slowly starting to make sense. "But why are you helping me this time?"

"Because I could tell something bad had happened, Danny," he replied. "He never told me that he intended to harm anyone…much less kill them."

"If I don't stop him, I have a feeling he'll keep killing," Danny sighed. "I just…wish I knew how to stop him…"

"You and I both," Vlad admitted. "The most I can offer is a place for you to stay the night."

"I…I dunno," Danny said. "I…hate to leave Mom alone. And besides, if he comes back, then…well, I think it'd be better if I went home…"

"Fair enough," Vlad agreed. "I can understand where you're coming from."

"We'll be in touch?" Danny asked.

"Of course, Danny," Vlad smiled, lowering the Ghost Shield. Danny smiled as he transformed to his ghost form and left for Amity Park

*~*~*0*~*~*

After finally phasing through their Ghost Shield as human, Danny flew through the window and changed back.

"Any luck?" Tucker yawned.

"No…" he sighed. "Mom is diligently hunting me down. She came this close—" he demonstrated with his fingers, "—to finding out that I'm part ghost."

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"I dunno, but whatever weapon she was using shorted my powers out," he replied.

"You mean she actually _hit_ you?" Tucker asked.

"Yeah, and it hurt, too," Danny said rubbing his back.

"Here, let me take a look," Sam said. She helped Danny lift his shirt. The majority of his back was burned, the skin a deep reddish-purple. "No wonder—your back is burned, bad."

"Ouch," Tucker winced. "Maybe you should get that checked out…"

"No…" Danny said. "If I say something to Mom, she'll want an explanation that…well, I can't give her. Just…don't worry about it; I'll be fine."

"So…what happened?" Tucker said.

"I was…looking for him, and…" Danny sighed. "My parents made this new device called the 'Fenton Disguise Breaker'. They said that it allows them to see a ghost—even if it's invisible. I didn't think about it when I left…"

"So that's how she saw you?" Sam asked.

"That stinks," Tucker said.

"Yeah…after she hit me, I left as fast as I could. I went to see Vlad…"

"Again?" Tucker asked.

"Yeah, but this time…he actually listened to me," Danny said. "I explained everything to him and…"

"…And?" Sam said. Danny let out a breath.

"Well…Vlad knew about…my older self…"

"What?!" Tucker exclaimed.

"How?" Sam chimed.

"He's been staying there…against Vlad's will," Danny explained. "And told Vlad if he helped me…it would mean his life—he would _kill_ Vlad."

"So…why'd he help you this time?" Sam asked.

"Because of my dad," Danny replied.

"Wait, I thought he _hated_ your dad," Tucker said.

"I did, too, but…I think maybe deep down he really didn't," Danny admitted. "Anyway, he said we'd be 'in touch'."

"You mean he's gonna let you know what your evil, older self is up to?" Sam asked.

"That's _awesome_!" Tucker exclaimed.

"I don't know if that's what he meant or not, but…either way, it's good to know he's on our side," Danny yawned.

"Why don't we get some rest," Sam said. "It's been a long night." For the first time, Danny looked at the clock; the display read two thirty-two.

**Chapter Eleven**

In the two weeks after Jack's death, Maddie and Danny had been growing apart. In fear of slipping up, Danny avoided having long conversations with her and she spent most nights searching for Danny Phantom, the ghost she believed killed her husband. Valerie hadn't been hanging out with Danny as much, either. Daniel hadn't shown up since the incident, and Vlad had yet to make contact.

With her perfect timing, Anna came to cheer him up when he needed it most. Sam, Tucker, and Danny were having lunch at the Nasty Burger when she came.

"Your mother said I might find you here," she said, smiling as she walked over to the booth.

"Anna," Danny stood with surprise. "I haven't seen you in a while." As they hugged, Danny felt his Ghost Sense. He looked around quickly.

"I heard about your father," she offered. "I'm very sorry for your loss."

"Thanks…it…means a lot," Danny smiled.

"So, what've you been up to, Anna?" Tucker asked as Danny invited her to join them.

"Not anything of importance," she replied.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" Sam asked skeptically.

"What I said. Nothing very exciting or important," she corrected. "What about the two of you?"

"Same," Tucker responded. Sam didn't answer.

"And you?" Anna asked.

"I've been just _peachy_," she said, rolling her eyes.

After a few hours at the arcade, they parted; Sam and Tucker to their houses, and Anna with Danny to his house. When Danny entered the den, his mom wasn't anywhere to be found, which had become typical; she was usually out hunting for the ghost around sunset.

"So, how long are you planning to stay?" Danny asked, sitting on the couch.

"I'm not certain; how long am I allowed to stay?" Anna returned, sitting beside him.

"Well, really that's up to our Moms," he said.

"My mother said I could stay as long as I like," she replied.

"Really? Why's that?"

"Well…our…house burned down a few days ago…and…" her voice trailed.

"Sorry to hear that—was everyone alright?"

"Fine," she replied. "Mom is staying with…my grandmother, but there wasn't a place for me to sleep. I told her I would find somewhere to stay…and…"

"And so you came here?" Danny finished.

"Yes. I was hoping I might be able to stay here for a little while," she confessed.

"I'll talk to my mom," Danny smiled. It was then Danny noticed a letter addressed to him on the coffee table. Curiously, he broke the seal.

_Danny,_

_I hope things are going well for you and your mother. I had hoped to contact you sooner, but have been unable to due to circumstances. Thus far, Daniel has yet to inform me of any plans. _

_It seems as though he has lost some trust in me, which is why I had not contacted you sooner. He has been gone for several days now, and I can assume he is in Amity Park. I can also assume he will strike before this letter reaches you._

_Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you and your mother. I will gladly help. If you like, we can work something out so that I can teach you what I know._

—_Vlad_

Danny smiled as he read the note and folded it back into the envelope.

"Not to intrude, but who was that from?" Anna asked

"Oh—no one. Just a friend. I'll be right back," Danny said, stuffing the letter in his pocket. He crossed through the empty kitchen and towards the basement door.

"Could I join you?" she asked.

"Uh…sure—but don't touch _anything_." He opened the door and walked down the dark stairs. With a quiet flick, he turned on the light switch.

"The lab…" Anna said, looking around.

"Yeah…" Danny said, walking down the stairs. "This is their lab." He walked over to a button near the Ghost Portal that read "Ghost Shield" over it. "I just have to activate the Ghost Shield, and then we can go back upstairs.

As his hand reached for the button, Danny saw his Ghost Sense slip out. Before he could react, a sharp pain in his neck sent him whirling into unconsciousness. He hit the floor with a loud thump.

"Danny? Danny!" she yelled running to his side. He didn't respond.

"He's unconscious," Anna said. A spiral of green smoke appeared around her as her body changed form.

"Good," Daniel said, smirking. He reached into Danny's pocket and pulled out the wadded letter. Furious eyes scanned the page, and his smirk faded. "So, Vlad has decided to help him. I suppose I should take care of him now before he becomes more than a mere annoyance," Daniel thought out loud. Lips pursed as he plotted for a moment.

"Or perhaps…" he smirked. "I think I'll let Vlad play this little game of his. Perhaps one of them will be out of my way soon enough."

*~*~*0*~*~*

"Danny? Danny, are you alright? Danny!" Hands shook furiously at his limp body. Danny heard a voice calling him and he urged his eyes to open.

"W-wha…?" he groaned; sitting up, he rubbed his head. "What…what happened?"

"I don't know," Anna replied from beside him. "You collapsed all of a sudden. Come on; let's go upstairs—you should lie down."

"Yeah…okay," Danny said as he stood. "Oh, the Ghost Shield—"

"I've already activated it," she said with a smile. Danny peered at her skeptically. "All you have to do is press this button, correct? It isn't all that complicated, Danny," she added when Danny nodded. "Let's go upstairs." She followed Danny upstairs and back to the den. He laid down on the couch and Anna sat across from him in the chair.

*~*~*0*~*~*

Danny woke the next morning, still on the couch. His head rested on his pillow and a blanket had been thrown over him. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease the ache from the night before. From the kitchen, the smell of eggs and bacon wafted through the air, and Danny smiled as he stood. As he suspected, Maddie stood by the stove diligently cooking Saturday morning breakfast. He glanced at the clock on the wall; it was almost ten in the morning.

"Oh—good morning, Danny!" Maddie said as she glanced back to see her son standing in the doorway. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Huh?"

"Anna said you weren't feeling well last night," she said, bringing the plate of bacon to the table. "She said you passed out."

"Oh…yeah…" he remembered. "Just…stood up to fast or something. I'm fine." Of course, Danny had lied. His neck twinged with a dull throb; he never could figure out what happened down there. Suddenly, a cold breath escaped from between chapped lips.

"Something smells delicious in here," Anna said, appearing beside Danny in the doorway. "It's good to hear you are feeling well. I was worried about you last night."

"Yeah…sorry about that," Danny said. The three sat down and ate. When they finished, Danny helped clear the table and wash dishes.

"So, what plans do you have today?" Anna asked.

"I'm gonna meet Sam and Tucker later at the arcade and…probably just hang out with them for a while," Danny replied. "You wanna come?"

"No thanks," Anna said. "I…have some laundry to do, and I thought I might go see Mom today."

Danny shrugged and she headed upstairs. Meanwhile, Danny pulled out a sheet of paper and began writing.

_Vlad,_

_It's really good to hear from you. I was a little worried there. No signs of Daniel yet, but thanks for the heads up. I think he might be laying low for a while. Mom is holding up okay, but she still won't listen to me. She still thinks I killed Dad. I'm afraid she might find out that I'm Danny Phantom and snap. I don't think she'd believe me even if I did tell her, but I still think she'd flip. I could use the training—I might be able to beat him that way. I haven't figured out much, but one thing I know is that I'm the one that has to beat him. I don't know how we can work it out, but I am totally for it. I'm hoping you have some ideas._

_Thanks for everything,_

_Danny_

He read the letter again before folding it and shoving it in an envelope. He grabbed a stamp from his mother's stash and stuck it in the top right corner. Danny wrote his address in the upper left corner and carefully copied Vlad's return address from the letter he'd received. Vlad's letter was stuffed into his pocket and the other lifted from the table.

"I'm gonna go meet Sam and Tucker!" Danny yelled down to Maddie in the basement.

"Alright, sweetie! I'll see you later," Maddie shouted back.

Danny waited for a response from Anna, but heard none. He shrugged; she must've already left to go see her mom. With a bang, the front door closed behind him. He couldn't wait to tell Sam and Tucker about Vlad's letter. But first, he had to make a detour to the post office.

"'Bout time you got here!" Tucker said from his game station.

"What took you so long?" Sam asked. "You were supposed to be here like…fifteen minutes ago!"

"Sorry, I…had to run an errand," Danny replied, taking the station beside her.

"Is…everything okay, Danny?" Sam asked.

"For once, sort of," he replied. Sam and Tucker exchanged looks. "I got this in the mail last night." He handed the letter to Sam; Tucker read over her shoulder. "It's from Vlad."

"He's gonna _train_ you?" Sam said.

"I thought you said he couldn't help you because of your older jerkier self?" Tucker said.

"Vlad's going to try to work something out where he won't know about it," Danny replied.

"He also says that 'Daniel' will probably strike soon," Sam said.

"I know, but…I haven't seen him anywhere and if he was going to do something, he would've done it by now. I think he might just be laying low for a little while," Danny reassured. "Besides, this will give me a chance to get stronger—strong enough to beat him."

"Awesome!" Tucker exclaimed.

"I…I'm not sure about this…" Sam said unsurely as she handed the letter back to Danny.

"What's not to be sure of?" Danny replied. "Vlad is my only chance at beating him, Sam."

"What about Clockwork?" she countered.

"I…don't think I could handle going back into the Ghost Zone…" Danny sighed. "Not after…what happened last time…"

"He has a point Sam," Tucker added.

"And besides, he hasn't been there at all since this whole mess started," Danny said. "I don't think he wants to help this time…I…think it's up to me this time."

Sam sighed, defeated. "I guess you're right."

"So, any ideas on how Vlad's going to help without your evil self figuring it out?" Tucker asked.

"Not yet," Danny replied. "I wrote him back and took the letter to the post office before I came here—that's what took so long," he smiled at Sam. "Now all I can do is wait…and hope that Daniel doesn't go through Vlad's mail."

The three left the arcade a little while later, and headed over to the Nasty Burger for lunch. Danny felt his stomach turn when Kwan, Paulina, and Valerie entered the restaurant; Sam and Tucker seemed not to notice them. It was strange—he hadn't really seen the three since the ordeal with Dash. Though Paulina and Valerie seemed okay, it wasn't hard to tell that Kwan was still recovering from the loss of his good friend.

Danny silently watched as they ordered. Eyes locked with his as Valerie caught sight of him. She turned and quickly led them to a booth across the restaurant. It wasn't long after that Danny, Sam, and Tucker went their separate ways.

*~*~*0*~*~*

"Surprised to see me?" Danny turned quickly; he knew that voice.

"Vlad?" he said with a little bit of shock. "What are you doing here—did you get my letter?" Vlad nodded. "Oh…I'm guessing that's why you're here?"

"Correct," Vlad said, landing beside him. "Several days ago, actually. Daniel has yet to return—I'm thinking you might have been right to say he is 'laying low for a while.' I decided this might be a good opportunity to show you what I know."

"Okay," Danny said. He looked around before changing into his ghost form. "I have to be home in about an hour and a half, but I've got a little time."

Vlad took Danny to a more secluded area where no one would get in the way of practice fire; they headed to the park. He started with the basics that Danny didn't have. They worked for about an hour before Danny decided to head home.

"So…are you staying in Amity Park or going home?" Danny asked.

"I was hoping to find a place to stay here," he replied. "Hotel, maybe."

"Hotel? Why don't you just 'come in for a visit' and stay with us?" Danny suggested.

"I don't know…" Vlad protested. "I'd hate to put your mother in that situation…"

"Honestly, I think she might enjoy seeing you, with you being friends from college and all," Danny said.

"You think so?"

"As long as you don't hit on her," Danny joked. "I think it would do her some good."

Vlad smiled. "Alright. You go ahead home, I'll come by later."

Danny nodded and headed home. It was only nine, but he was really tired. As he guessed, Maddie wasn't home; he headed upstairs. When he passed by Jazz's room, he noticed Anna asleep on the bed. Quietly, he went into his room and plopped onto his lumpy mattress. As usual, Danny grabbed his laptop from the floor; he logged on. Sam and Tucker started a session with him not long after, and Danny couldn't wait to tell them about Vlad. It had only been ten minutes before the doorbell rang.

Danny headed down stairs and to the front door. He looked through the peephole and smiled when he saw who was on the other side; he opened it.

"Hello, Daniel," Vlad said casually and as if they hadn't seen each other in ages. "Could I speak with your mother?"

"Sorry, Vlad," Danny replied. "She's not home. She's out looking for Danny Phantom. Come in."

"Thank you," Vlad said as he stepped inside. "What time is she usually back?"

"She usually stops by around nine thirty. You can talk to her then."

As expected, the front door quietly opened at nine thirty. Vlad had gone upstairs to the bathroom for a moment while Danny watched TV in the living room.

"Danny?" Maddie said, closing the door behind her.

"Hey Mom," Danny said from the couch. "Oh, uh…someone stopped by to see you."

"Really, who? You didn't tell them you were here _alone_ did you?" Maddie questioned.

"Relax, Mom. It was—"

"Why, hello Maddie," Vlad said as he reached the bottom of the staircase.

"…Vlad," Danny finished.

"Vlad? It's—er—nice to see you," Maddie said, smiling. "What brings you to here?"

"I…just thought I might stop by and see how the two of you were," Vlad explained. "I'm terribly sorry I didn't make it to the funeral. I had planned to come but…something—er—came up at the last second and my flight was cancelled."

"Sorry to hear that," Maddie replied. A couple of moments awkwardly slid by before she continued. "So, how long have you been here?"

"About five minutes—maybe ten," Vlad lied. "Daniel and I were just catching up."

"Really?" Maddie said, slightly surprised. She shot a raised-eyebrow look over to Danny who nodded innocently. "Well, that's nice. How long will you be in town?"

"A couple of days, I believe," Vlad said.

"Where are you staying?" she asked.

"Seeing how most of the hotels in town are full, I will surely have to find someplace outside of town…" Vlad lied.

"Why don't you stay with us?" Danny chimed. "If—er—it's okay with you, Mom…"

"Well…I don't know, Danny…" Maddie protested. "I mean, we already have your friend staying…"

"Oh, c'mon Mom," Danny argued. "Vlad doesn't mind sleeping on the couch, do you?"

"Now, Danny—if your mother says no, then you shouldn't protest," Vlad said. Danny gave a pouty face as he turned back to the television.

Maddie sighed. "I guess it couldn't hurt. All we have is the couch, though."

"That's quite alright with me, Maddie," Vlad smiled. With his mother's okay, Danny ran upstairs and grabbed a pillow and an extra blanket. He threw them on the couch for Vlad. Maddie bid them good night and headed back out to find Danny Phantom; she told Vlad she would explain later. Yawning, Danny turned in for the night as well.

*~*~*0*~*~*

Vlad woke with a fright as a cold chill crawled up his spine and his Ghost Sense was triggered. Quickly, he looked around. Movement could be heard from the kitchen; the sink cut on and a glass was filled with water…silence. Footsteps treaded softly towards the den; Vlad could see a silhouette in the doorway.

"Oh, did I wake you, Vlad?" she said, stepping into the little moonlight that flowed from the window.

"It's…quite alright," Vlad said, relaxing a little. "And…who might you be?"

"I'm Anna, a friend of Danny's," Anna replied.

"Nice to meet you," Vlad said with a little skepticism in his voice. "How did you know my name?"

"Oh, Danny mentioned you earlier," she smiled. "He didn't want the 'stranger on the couch' to frighten me."

"I see," Vlad said. "Well, it was nice to meet you."

"Likewise." With that, Anna headed back upstairs. A moment later, Vlad heard the door quietly close behind her. He gave one more glance around the room before lying back down.

Only hours later, morning sunshine spilled across the floor and onto Danny's eyelids. He woke quietly and sat up; neon letters read eight ten. Danny yawned as he rose from his bed. Quietly, Danny tiptoed towards the bathroom.

Suddenly, a cold breath slid between his lips. Danny froze; he looked around cautiously, looking for any signs of _anything_ out of place. He creaked open the door to Jazz's room. Anna was still sound asleep on Jazz's bed. Danny walked to the top of the staircase; Vlad was stretched out comfortably on the couch. Anxious ears listened for the slightest sound of movement. Nothing…Danny turned and quietly closed the bathroom door behind him.

It wasn't much later that the usual smells of Saturday morning filled the house. Danny had gone back into his room and was quietly watching television. It didn't take long for him to doze. A light knock on his door woke him.

"Come in," he yawned.

"Get up, sleepy head," Maddie smiled. "Breakfast is ready." Danny flipped off the TV and headed downstairs. Vlad was in the kitchen, setting the table.

"…You can cook?" Danny asked, watching Vlad stir a pot on the stove.

"Of course I can _cook_, Danny," Vlad said, setting the pot on the table.

"Hm…I didn't know you could cook," Danny shrugged, sitting at the table.

"_I didn't know you could cook," Jack's voice rang out from behind him._

"_Well, I've been watching Mom do it and thought 'hey, how hard could it be?'" Danny replied._

Danny smiled a little as he remembered that morning—it had been the last _normal_ Saturday morning he'd had…the Saturday before Jazz…

"Oh, I'll go get Anna," Danny said, standing and leaving the kitchen. When he reached Jazz's room, the door was ajar. He pushed it open to reveal an empty, unmade bed. Curiously, he walked down the hallway. The bathroom door was closed. He knocked.

"Anna?" Danny said. "Breakfast is ready."

"I'll—er, be down in a few minutes," she replied. "I'm…in the shower."

"Oh…uh, okay," Danny said. He headed back to the kitchen. "She said she'd be down in a few minutes." Maddie nodded.

"Vlad, this is delicious," she said as she swallowed a mouthful of eggs and bacon.

"Thank you, Maddie," Vlad replied.

The three ate in silence for few minutes. Danny reached for his glass of orange juice. Just as the rim of the glass touched his lips, his Ghost Sense puffed out, frosting glass. Eyes glanced around quickly and fixed on Vlad when he noticed that he was also scanning the room cautiously. Their eyes met with a silent message.

"The food smells great," Anna said, stopping by the table.

"Oh, Vlad," Danny began, "This is Anna; Anna, Vlad. Vlad's a…friend of the family."

"It's a _pleasure_ to meet you, Vlad," Anna said, sitting.

"Likewise, my dear," Vlad replied. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be back in one moment."

"It's quite alright, Vlad," Maddie said. Vlad stood from the table and, with a hinting look towards Danny, left the room. Danny waited a moment before speaking.

"I'll—uh—be right back," he said. "I'm…gonna run to the bathroom." Before his mother could say anything, he followed Vlad. Vlad signaled him to head upstairs. "You, too?" Danny said softly.

"My Ghost Sense," Vlad replied, almost whispering. "This is the second time since I got here that that's happened."

"Second?" Danny said a little louder. Vlad shushed him. "When was the first time?"

"Last night," Vlad replied. "I was asleep and it woke me. That friend of yours, Anna, was in the kitchen. Then this morning, she walks into the kitchen and both of our Ghost Senses are triggered…"

"Where do you think he's hiding?" Danny asked. "He's most likely invisible—do you think he's just messing with us?"

"I _highly_ doubt that, Danny," Vlad replied. "If he were to discover that I'm here, then it would mean trouble for the both of us. I'm going to have a look around." With that, he transformed and turned invisible.

"Okay, I'll head back to the kitchen so they don't get suspicious," Danny said. He headed back downstairs and went into the kitchen. Danny hesitated when his Ghost Sense was triggered again. _'It's probably just Vlad…'_ Danny reassured himself.

"Where's Vlad?" Anna asked as Danny sat down.

"Oh, he'll be back in just a second," Danny replied. "He just, uh…had to step outside and get some fresh air. He said he got a little hot cooking breakfast."

"Is he alright?" Maddie asked from the sink. She came back over to the table and picked up the empty frying pan.

"Uh, yeah. He—" Danny hesitated as his Ghost Sense slipped out once more. No one else seemed to notice. "…said he was fine." Danny stood and helped his mom finish cleaning off the table. Anna headed back upstairs, and Vlad came in just as the last plate was rinsed and laid in the sink. Danny looked at him hopefully; Vlad shook his head.

"Well, I hope everyone enjoyed breakfast," he said.

"I know I enjoyed it," Danny said, watching the sink fill up with dishwater.

"It was great," Maddie smiled.

"I'll get the dishes, Mom," Danny said.

"Well, thank you, Danny," Maddie hugged him. "You know where I'll be if you need me." She headed downstairs to the lab, closing the door behind her.

"So…you didn't find him?" Danny asked after a moment.

"No," Vlad replied. "I think you might be right—he may be hiding invisibly…or perhaps…"

"What?" Danny asked when Vlad didn't finish.

"Danny, did you mention me to your friend last night?"

"Yeah, I told her that you were sleeping on the couch so that—"

"'The stranger on the couch wouldn't frighten' her…" Vlad finished.

"Yeah…how'd you know that?"

"Never mind that," Vlad said. "Did you mention my _name _to her?"

"I…don't know…I might've?" Danny replied, trying to remember what he said. "Why does that matter?"

"Because," Vlad explained, "When she went into the kitchen last night, she knew my name."

"I…must've mentioned it to her when I was telling her you were downstairs," Danny shrugged. "It's really not that big of a deal."

"Haven't you noticed whenever she comes into the room, your Ghost Sense is triggered?" Vlad asked quietly. Almost on cue, Anna walked entered. As she approached, Vlad and Danny's Ghost Senses were triggered simultaneously. Vlad shot Danny a slight 'I-told-you-so' look.

"Would you two like any help?" Anna smiled.

"No, thank you," Vlad said before Danny could speak. "I think we're just about done. Thanks for the offer."

"Alright then," Anna said. She turned on her heel and left.

"You see?" Vlad said after a moment.

"Something doesn't feel right…" Danny said, almost whispering. "Do you think it has something to do with Daniel?"

"Hard to say," Vlad replied.

"You don't think…" Danny said. He dropped the plate he was washing back into the dish water. "What if she's his next target?"

"I suppose it's _plausible_," Vlad replied thoughtfully.

"Oh, no…" Danny half groaned. "I have to stop him—I have to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone else."

"For now, all you can do is watch over her," Vlad said.

Once the dishes were done, Danny left to met Sam and Tucker at the arcade. He finally talked Anna into tagging along—much to Sam's dismay. He gave her an 'I'll explain later' at some point. The day was spent as usual—just playing Doom and arcade games. They went their separate ways around sunset and Danny told Anna he'd catch up with her later; Danny had an appointment at the park. Practicing different things wasn't easy, but he hoped that it would help. The next couple of days passed the same way—totally uneventful.

Danny was starting to think that Daniel really was just laying low.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Danny was making little progress with his 'training,' as Vlad called it. Danny tried to do what Vlad said, but somehow it just never worked. It had been four days since Vlad first arrived, and Danny still wasn't anywhere new. The midnight air was rather humid as they practiced.

"Why can't I just get this?!" Danny asked with frustration. He focused, just as Vlad had told him, and tried to split himself into a copy. His teeth clenched and ground against one another.

"Perhaps you're trying too hard, Danny," Vlad said.

"Apparently, not hard enough," he sighed, exhausted from his attempts. "We've been here for hours, and I still can't get this!"

"Why don't we try something else and come back to cloning?" Vlad suggested.

Danny nodded, and sighed. Suddenly, an energy blast just barely missed Danny's head. Wide-eyed, they both turned. Maddie Fenton raced towards them angrily, weapon aimed and ready. In order to throw her off, Vlad turned invisible as they fled.

"Don't bother with that—she has the Disguise Breaker," Danny said. She was right on their tracks, and they weren't chased long before net was launched; Danny was trapped and fell to the ground dazed. Maddie hovered in front of him, gun aimed.

"Now you'll pay—" she said. Her finger put a little pressure on the trigger.

"No, Maddie!" Vlad said, landing between them. "Stop!"

"Get out of the way, Ghost!" she yelled. "My quarrel isn't with you—though if you insist, I _won't_ hesitate to destroy you!"

"Trust me when I say this, Maddie," Vlad persuaded, "If you do this, you _will_ regret it!"

"P…Plasmius…?" Danny said. Finally recovering from his daze, Danny began tearing and struggling against the net. "Plasmius! What're you—"

"Get out of here!" he yelled back when he heard the net give. "I'll stall."

"But—"

"NOW!" Vlad yelled. Danny hesitated, but did as he was told. Maddie started after him only to be blocked by Vlad.

"Out of the way!" she said, trying to get around him. "He's getting away! Don't you get it—he's a _killer_!"

"Maddie, listen—" Vlad tried to reason. Realizing that he wasn't going to willingly let her pass, Maddie did the only thing she could; she fought back. Vlad continued his futile attempt to reason as energy blasts fired left and right. Finally one hit. Vlad fell to the ground, dazed. The blast was powerful—powerful enough to have killed Danny Phantom. Being stronger, Vlad was able to withstand the blast…for the most part.

"Vlad?!" Maddie gasped as she landed in front of what was once a ghost. "You mean…you're…?"

"Maddie…I…" Vlad sighed.

"Then…the reunion…" she remembered, "…that was _you_?" Vlad's head hung sadly; they were both quiet for a moment. "Vlad—that ghost, Danny Phantom—_he's_ the one that killed Jack. You have to tell me where he went."

"Maddie, I don't think he's harmed anyone," Vlad said.

"But Vlad—I _saw_ him bring Jack out of the Ghost Zone—"

"He found him there by chance—I can assure you, he had _nothing_ to do with—"

"Then what about the boy at Danny's school? He was killed with an energy beam. That _ghost_ was the only one there when he was found—he _had_ to have—"

"Maddie!" Vlad interrupted. "Danny Phantom hasn't harmed anyone. He was set up for that, and found Jack by chance."

"How can you be so sure—he could've lied to you," Maddie argued.

"No Maddie, I know he didn't—"

"But _how_ do you know, Vlad? Isn't it possible that—'

"No it isn't. I know—"

"Why isn't it?! Ghosts can lie just as easily as we can!"

"Maddie, just listen to me!"

"Give me one reason to believe that ghost!"

"Because, Maddie, I trust—"

"Give me a _good_ reason!"

"Because he's you _son_!" Vlad finally slipped. The air was thick as silence fell upon them.

"What?" she breathed. "Danny is…"

Vlad sighed. "Yes, Maddie. Your son…is like me—" Vlad said, transforming back to his ghost form, "A Ghost Hybrid. Danny Fenton _is_ Danny Phantom."

"But…how…?" she questioned.

"He…never told me that much," Vlad replied.

"How long have you known?"

"Since shortly after we met," Vlad said, remembering that night.

"You mean…the reunion?" she asked. "That long?" Vlad nodded. "Why didn't he ever tell us?"

"If you were in his situation, would _you_ have told?" Vlad asked. Maddie didn't answer. "He was afraid that…you wouldn't accept him; that you would consider him more of a science experiment than a son." They were both quiet for a few moments.

"Who else knows?" she asked.

"His two friends—Sam and Tucker, I believe are their names. And…" he paused. "Jazz knew."

"She…she did?" Maddie said.

"A bright girl like her probably figured it out in no time," Vlad said. "Don't tell him that I've told you. It's his secret to share, and…I shouldn't've…"

"Vlad," Maddie smiled. "I'm _glad_ you told me. After all, I might've really hurt him. I won't let on that I know. He can tell me when he's ready."

"What kind of parent are you?" They both turned to locate the source of the voice. "Your own _son_ is half ghost and you _still _hadn't figured it out? It's almost _pathetic_."

Vlad's eyes widened with shock; he didn't have to guess whose voice it was. "Maddie…" he said, hardly breathing. "Get out of here."

"What? Vlad, what's—"

"Trust me," Vlad interrupted pushing her away. She looked back at him before hurrying off.

"And where will she run?" the voice said. "As soon as you're out of the way, I'll finish her off, too."

"Why don't you stop hiding, Daniel?" Vlad smirked. "Are you too much of a coward to fight me?" Without warning, a blast hit Vlad from behind and he plummeted to the asphalt.

"Well, I _did _learn from you," Daniel said, becoming visible.

His face twisted into a smirk as Vlad rose painfully from the pavement. As he stood, Daniel landed in front of him. The fight was on, quick and violent. Energy beams flew this way and that, burning trees and scorching asphalt as they missed. Daniel charged at Vlad like a raging bull, and he dodged intangibly. Tangible once more, he threw a hard kick. Smirking, Daniel caught it and threw him back to the blacktop. Vlad didn't stand this time.

"I was hoping you would put up a little more of a fight, Plasmius," Daniel chuckled with false disappointment.

"Then I won't disappoint you." Without standing, Vlad turned and sent an energy beam blasting towards him. He stood as the blast hit its mark, and Daniel slid backward.

Vlad walked toward him; his eyes were closed and his body didn't move. _'That blast couldn't have been enough to destroy him,'_ Vlad thought as he stopped over the unmoving body. Before he could react, a hard punch hit Vlad in the stomach, and he was thrown backwards. Daniel floated upward and disappeared. Vlad stood on weak limbs; he was already worn from challenging Maddie—there was no way he could beat Daniel. When he looked up, Daniel was nowhere to be found. Nervously, he glanced around for any signs of him.

Something thudded behind him; Vlad turned sharply to investigate. The space was empty. He turned back and stared into piercing red eyes for a moment before he was knocked to the ground again. When he tried to stand, Daniel blasted him with an energy beam. The blast was powerful enough to change him from his ghost form; Vlad tried to convince his body to move, but it was no use.

"Why are you doing all of this?" Vlad asked weakly as he laid on the blacktop.

"We had a deal, Plasmius," Daniel said approaching him. "'Stay out of my way, and I'll let you live'—does that sound familiar?" His hand raised and began glowing. "Well, now you're in my way." Vlad's eyes closed tightly as he heard the beam release. When his eyes opened, the pavement before him was scorched and smoking, and the pungent scent of hot tar wafted into the summer breeze. "Let this be a warning, Plasmius." When Vlad looked up to face him, Daniel had disappeared into the dark night sky. With a sigh of relief, Vlad fell back to the pavement. Vlad laid there for a few minutes before he was stirred by the sound of feet landing on the pavement.

"V...Vlad…?" he said in a quiet, shaky voice. Danny Phantom knelt beside him; Vlad's eyes opened. "Vlad, what happened?"

"D…Danny…?" Vlad groaned.

"C'mon, I'll take you home," Danny replied, turning human and helping him stand. Vlad was half-dragged to the Fenton's residence. Danny knew that him mother was no doubt still on the lookout for them, and he didn't want her to catch him with an injured Vlad. Halfway there, Vlad passed out from exhaustion. But Danny didn't stop; he paused only to open the door. Behind it, Maddie paced anxiously.

"Danny?!" she yelled when he and Vlad entered. "What on Earth happened?!"

"Uh…Vlad…and I were …" he began, thinking quickly, "…in the woods and…he, uh…got too close to the edge of a cliff?" Okay, so it was the lamest excuse he could've come up with…but it didn't matter because, for whatever reason, she bought it. They laid him down on the couch with a cool rag on his head. Maddie dressed several bad scrapes and deeper cuts. Meanwhile, Danny headed upstairs to talk to Sam and Tucker. He checked on Anna on his way; she was sound asleep in Jazz's bed. Smiling, he closed the door and headed into his own room.

*~*~*0*~*~*

Vlad was still unconscious when Danny left to meet Sam and Tucker the next morning; they had plans to go to the zoo. He tried to drag Anna along, and tried harder when his Ghost Sense was triggered yet again. Anna had no interest in going and wasn't about to be forced.

Overall, the day was fairly uneventful and showed no signs of Daniel. It had been a while since he'd just goofed off and wasn't constantly troubled. Of course, Danny was still worried about her, but he knew Anna could take care of herself. After a fun-filled day, the three went their separate ways.

"Mom? Dad?" Sam yelled as she walked into a dark house. "I'm home!" It was barely past seven—the night was still young; her parents _never_ ended their day this early. She flipped on the light switch.

The room was disheveled. Papers and broken furniture had been strewn across the room. The carpet was littered with splinters and small pieces of glass, and the curtains were ripped and scorched. Wine paint had been scraped and blacked across the walls. "Mom! Dad?!" she yelled again. Sam ran into the next room, dark as the other had been; she hit the switch and light filled the room. The dining room table was split in half and dinner covered the floor. All of the plates had been shattered and roast beef and potatoes splattered across the room. Sam gasped.

"M-Mom…Dad…" she whispered, kneeling beside them. Their bodies lie motionless before her. Breathlessly, she touched her mother's soft cheek; it still held warmth. They were still alive. Sam's eyes watered and a tear slipped out as she closed her eyes. _'Who did this to you…?' _she asked in her thoughts.

"I suppose I should feel _sorry_ for you," a voice said behind her. Sam stood and turned sharply.

"Y…you…" she whispered. "Wh…why did you…?"

"I suppose it was really just for fun," she said, her face twisting into a sinister grin.

"What did they ever do to you, Anna?" she yelled. "You'd never even _met _them!"

Anna chuckled; her feminine voice was doubled by another masculine voice…a familiar voice. "You still don't get it, do you?" Green smoke swirled from Anna's feet and circled all the way up to her head. When the mist finally thinned, a muscular figure stepped forward.

"You!" Sam gasped, stepping back.

"Surprised to see me?" Daniel chuckled.

"What do you want—why did you hurt them?" Sam cried. "What did they _ever_ do to you, Danny?"

"They got in my way," Daniel sneered. "You see, I've been after you this whole time." Sam's eyes widened.

"Then…why did you kill Jazz?" she asked, her voice building to a yell as she continued. "And Dash? And your own father?!"

"They also got in my way," he replied. "When Danny spilled the beans to Jazz, I had to make sure she could do nothing about it. So I took her out of the picture. Dash walked in as I was fighting Danny and, well, it was the _perfect_ opportunity to give him something to occupy his time. As for my _idiot_ father," he smirked, "he just so happened to come downstairs while I was disabling the Ghost Shield. Honestly, it was his own fault," he chuckled.

"How…how could you…?" Sam whispered.

"It was actually quite _easy_," Daniel replied.

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Because I _know_ you won't tell anyone," he smirked as he approached her.

"No…" Sam said as she backed away. She turned and ran only for a moment before Daniel was in front of her. She turned around; another behind her. Daniel surrounded her. "No—Danny!" she screamed. Daniel chuckled with amusement. "No…you're _not_ Danny. The Danny I know would _never_—"

"Save your breath, Sam," Daniel said. "You'll need it." Her eyes widened with shock before a bright light flashed before her and she fell into unconsciousness.

*~*~*0*~*~*

"Where is she?" Danny asked. "I mean, we left hours ago—she should be home by now…"

"I know," Tucker responded. "Maybe she just went straight to bed?"

"Doubt it," Danny argued. "We agreed to meet online when we got home—no matter what."

"Maybe she forgot?" Tucker suggested.

"I dunno…it's not like her to forget," Danny said. "I'm gonna call her."

"Danny, I really don't think—"

"I know, you don't think I need to, but…" his voice trailed and Danny sighed. "I'm really worried about her. It'll only take a second." Danny left for a moment and reappeared with a cordless phone. They were both quiet for a minute before Danny hung up. "No answer…"

"That's strange, her parents are usually home by now," Tucker replied.

"And Sam _should_ be," Danny added. "That's it—I'm gonna go check on her. I'll be back soon." Tucker gave a small sound of protest, but Danny changed forms and flew out his window.

As per the usual, Sam's was only a minute away by air. When he reached the front doorstep, he changed forms and knocked. When no answer came, he rang the doorbell…still nothing. Glancing around, Danny changed back to his ghost form and phased through the front door.

The living room was completely trashed with papers, garbage, and broken furniture. Cautiously, Danny floated into the next room. Sam's parents lay unconscious beside the split table. _'Sam,'_ Danny thought. Quickly, he headed upstairs, phasing through the door to Sam's room. It looked like it usually did. Her walk-in closet was closed and the drapes were pulled over the window; the floor was mostly clean and the bed messily made. But there was no sign of Sam. Dread sinking over him, Danny searched the entire mansion – calling for her time and time again.

When he came up empty handed, he returned to her bedroom. Sam's laptop sat on top of her dresser where it usually sat. Cautiously, Danny walked over to it. It clicked open and he opened her webcam. Tucker was still online, as well his computer. It was only a second before Tucker started a session.

"Sam—Danny and I were…" Tucker's voice trailed. "…Danny?"

"Sam's not here," Danny said. "And…her parents…" he sighed, trying to find the words. "We need to find Sam."

"Danny, what happened?" Tucker asked.

"Don't know, but I have a feeling I know who's responsible," Danny replied. "Sam's parents…are hurt…I think they'll be fine, but they're unconscious."

"What?!" Tucker exclaimed. "Shouldn't we call an ambulance or something?"

"I will, but…right now, I'm worried about Sam. I have a feeling she's in trouble."

"How do we know where to find her?"

"I wish I knew…" Danny sighed. He sat on her bed to think for a moment. "I'm going to see if you can come over to my place—maybe we can come up with something."

As Danny expected, Maddie agreed to let Tucker spend the night. He ran upstairs to let Tucker know, and Tuck left almost immediately—only after activating the Ghost Shield on his PDA.

'_Anna,'_ Danny remembered. He quietly walked to Jazz's room and pushed the door open. Her bed was unmade and empty. Danny ran downstairs quickly. "Mom—where's Anna?"

"Oh, she went to see her mother. She said she'd be back in a few days," Maddie replied. "I was supposed to tell you—I guess it just slipped my mind." Danny sighed with slight relief. Hopefully, she'd be safe there. Danny passed Vlad on his way back up the stairs, and he watched curiously as Danny continued up the stairs and headed to his room without as much as a glance at him. Wondering silently, Vlad continued downstairs without a word. Meanwhile, Danny plopped down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling for some kind of answer. A couple of minutes later, Tucker entered Danny's room.

"Anything yet?" he asked.

"Not a clue," Danny replied.

"Oh, your mom said she was going out for a little while," Tucker said.

"Yeah, probably to hunt _me_," Danny said. A silence fell between them.

"So…what do you think happened to Sam?" Tucker asked quietly.

"I think…" Danny sighed, "…that Daniel was looking for Sam and…she wasn't home…so…he waited for her…and who _knows_ where she is now…" Another silence fell between them; Tucker _wanted_ to say something to make Danny feel better—less guilty—but just couldn't find the words. After a moment, Danny spoke again. "I'm gonna go get something to drink…be back in a minute." Tucker watched as Danny stood and left.

Danny drug his feet to the kitchen. With no enthusiasm, Danny grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water; he sipped from the glass. Suddenly, a loud bang sounded from the basement; Danny almost dropped his cup in surprise. He set it down on the counter before changing into his ghost form. Silently, he phased through the floor into the basement.

One of the tables was tipped over; shattered beakers and test tubes coated the floor nearby. Immediately, Danny's Ghost Sense appeared before him. Cautiously, he looked around. In front of the Ghost Zone was…

"Sam?!" he said, rushing over to her. "Sam…" Danny looked around again; no one else was down there. Danny didn't care—he'd found Sam and she was safe. He picked her up and floated intangibly through the ceiling.

"Tucker!" Danny yelled, laying Sam on the couch.

"Danny?! What's—" Tucker came downstairs and saw Danny by the couch. "Sam?!"

"I heard something in the lab, and when I went down…" Danny summed up. "I don't know how she got down there…"

"Do you think someone brought her here?" Tucker asked, standing beside Danny.

"I…don't know—the Ghost Shield is activated…but the Portal was open…" In all honesty, Danny had no idea what had happened. "My Ghost Sense…when I was down there, my Ghost Sense was triggered…"

"Do you think it was your older self?" Tucker suggested.

"No…if it were him, she'd be dead—not just unconscious…" Danny's head throbbed. He really didn't really feel like trying to figure it out; he was just glad she was alive. "I think I'm going to take her to the hospital—just to make sure she's okay."

"What about her parents?" Tucker asked. Danny thought for a moment.

"I'm going to take her to her house," Danny said. "If anyone asks, I called to see if she wanted to spend the night and no one answered the phone. So I decided to go to her house and make sure everything was okay. When I got there, the door was open, and they were all unconscious. Got it?"

"Yeah…but what should _I_ do?" Tucker asked.

"Uh…just…hang out here," Danny replied. He lifted Sam from the couch and flew out invisibly. He flew through Sam's window and laid her gently on her bed. He hesitated a moment before picking up the phone. Absently, he dialed three numbers and the line rang once before a voice came over the phone.

"I need an ambulance—my friend is hurt," Danny replied. "Yeah, her parents are here, they're all unconscious—" a lump formed in Danny's throat. "Name…? Danny…Danny Fenton…Okay, thank you." He changed into his human form, and only minutes later sirens approached. Voices spoke downstairs, and he heard footsteps start up the stairs. A woman appeared in the doorway.

"Are you Danny Fenton?" she asked. Unable to speak, Danny just nodded. "How long have you been here?"

"Only about five minutes—I had just gotten here when I called…" Danny said. "Her parents were down in the dining room…they…were unconscious…then I was trying to find Sam, a-and…" It was harder to explain then he'd thought it would be.

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of them," the paramedic smiled. "Explain what you can to the detective downstairs, and then you can go to the hospital with her." Danny nodded and another paramedic entered. "Can you bring a stretcher up?"

"Right away," he replied. He rushed downstairs, and came back up a moment later with a stretcher and another paramedic. They gently placed Sam on the stretcher and the two left. The female paramedic led Danny downstairs to the detective. Sam's parents were no longer in the dining room; evidently, they were on their way to the hospital already. The last couple of paramedics left as Danny explained what had happened—well, the lie he and Tucker had come up with. The detective called Maddie, who still wasn't home, and Vlad came to get him. They headed home without another word. Danny couldn't help but feel responsible. True he hadn't done anything, but technically…he had.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

The next morning Danny and Tucker went to the hospital. Hours passed, and Tucker had to go home. Maddie allowed Danny to stay with her. The sun set on the day, and Danny dozed in the corner. Suddenly, Sam gasped and woke with a start. Hearing movement, Danny stirred in the corner.

"Sam?" he said, walking over to her. "How do you feel?"

"A…little light-headed..." she replied. "What happened?"

"That's what I was going to ask you…" Danny said.

"I remember…going to the zoo, and…when I went home…" Sam thought hard. _Papers and broken furniture had been strewn across the room. Sam ran into the next room…she hit the switch… The dining room table was split in half and dinner covered the floor_. _Their bodies lie motionless before her._

"…My parents…" Sam whispered.

"…I know…they should be okay," Danny said, trying to comfort her. "…I'm sorry…" Sam was quiet for a moment. "Do you…remember what happened after that?"

"I…remember being in the Ghost Zone…" Sam said. "I was…tied up with…some kind of rope."

"Rope?" Danny questioned.

"Yeah…" Sam replied. "Why?"

"I found you in the lab…you were unconscious, but there wasn't any rope…" he replied. "What kind of rope was it?"

"I don't know, it was…green—it kind of glowed, I think," Sam said.

_Danny fell to the cold floor of his parents' lab. He untangled the rope that was wrapped around…_

"Oh, no…" Danny groaned.

"What—what is it?" she asked.

"That was the same kind of rope that was around Dad when I found him in the Ghost Zone," Danny explained. "Sam…I'm…I'm so sorry…"

"No, Danny," Sam said, shaking her head. "Don't blame yourself."

"But it's _my _fault…" Danny slumped into the chair beside Sam's bed.

"Danny—" Sam said. She sighed, realizing nothing she could say would make him feel any less guilty. Instead, she was quiet and tried to remember anything else. "I think…I think someone helped me. In the Ghost Zone, I mean."

"What do you mean—like who?" Danny asked.

"I…don't know…glowing green eyes…blue skin…" Sam tried hard to remember. "I remember seeing a weapon…some kind of gun maybe?"

"A weapon?" he repeated. "I guess it was someone we know…"

"I don't know…I just remember…waking up in the Ghost Zone, and…something came over to me…he had a large build and…" she explained as it came to her. "I'm sorry, Danny… I can't remember who it was."

"It's okay, Sam. Do you remember anything after you got home and before you were in the Ghost Zone?"

"I…" Sam closed her eyes against the bright fluorescent lights and tried to remember.

"_I suppose I should feel sorry for you."_ Sam's eyes widened.

"Sam? Sam—what is it?"

"Anna…" she almost whispered.

"Anna?" Danny repeated. "Anna left to go see her Mom. Sam, what's she got to do with—?"

"No…" Sam said. "Danny, Anna…she isn't who she says she is."

"What do you mean?"

"She…" Sam took in a deep breath. "She's your older self—she _is_ Daniel… That's how he's been hiding this whole time…"

"Sam? Are you sure? I mean, I know you don't like her, but—"

"Danny, this isn't about how much I can't _stand_ her," Sam argued. "I _saw_ her turn into him!"

"What—when?"

"When I found…my parents…Anna was behind me and…she turned into Daniel…I don't remember anything after that…" A silence fell between them. "You don't believe me…do you?"

"I…don't know _what_ to believe anymore…" Danny sighed. "I mean, if he really has been here this whole time, why hasn't he done anything to try and stop Vlad—"

'_D…Danny…?' Vlad groaned._

"_C'mon, I'll take you home," Danny replied, turning human and helping him stand. Halfway there, Vlad passed out from exhaustion and his injuries._

Danny fell silent. "You see? It all makes sense!" Sam said.

"But what about when we first met in Glidesdale?" Danny asked. "If it was really him, why wouldn't he have just killed me then—I mean, he had just tried to strangle me in the Ghost Zone."

"Maybe he figured you would be on your guard," Sam suggested.

"I don't know, Sam—I don't think he can change forms like that," Danny argued.

"Why not?" she protested. "He changed himself last year to pose as you, Danny—why not pose as an 'innocent girl' named Anna?"

"But that's because he _is_ me, Sam! That's why he could change himself to look like me," Danny countered, almost yelling. "And besides, Anna has a mother—I've met her. If he'd just turned into some random girl on the street, I doubt he would know where she lived, who her mother was, _and_ the home phone number." As much as Sam hated to admit it, Danny had a point. "Look, let's talk about this later, okay?" Danny suggested. "They said they'd probably release you after you woke up, which I'm guessing will be tomorrow morning."

"Fine," Sam sighed.

"I'll leave the portable Ghost Shield on for you and I'll come by tomorrow, okay?"

"Fine," she said again.

"I'm sorry, I guess I'm just…frustrated," Danny said.

"It's fine…I guess if I were in your situation, I wouldn't believe me, either," Sam replied. "We can talk about it tomorrow…just do me a favor and keep your Ghost Shield up—and tell Tucker to activate his, too."

"Will do," Danny smiled. "See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," she smiled back. "Tomorrow."

Danny left at that. He felt bad for yelling at her, but Anna—a ghost? A ghost that wanted to kill the people it'd been hanging out with for two weeks? It sounded a little farfetched to Danny. He trusted Sam, but Anna seemed so…normal…and innocent…and…not ghost-like.

Danny shivered in the cool summer breeze that rustled the leaves on the trees nearby. _'I can see my breath…in the middle of summer?'_ The temperature seemed to drop around him—not to the point of freezing, but a noticeable change. He stopped; the air was thick with tension and the wind was picking up. _'Something isn't right…'_ Danny looked around as his breath slipped out again. _'My Ghost Sense?'_ he thought.

From nowhere, Danny was thrown to the ground. "I'm a little disappointed," a voice said.

"You!" Danny yelled. Glancing around, he changed forms. "_You're _the one that tried to kill Sam, aren't you?"

"You've guessed correctly," Daniel said, appearing behind him. "But give _yourself_ some credit, too." A sly smile slipped onto Daniel's lips. "After all, you _are_ me."

"I am _nothing_ like you, and I will _never_ become you!" Danny yelled. He turned sharply and fired unexpectedly. The blast hit Daniel and sent him to the pavement. Daniel chuckled and stood; a knowing smirk slid across his lips. "Were you posing as Anna this whole time?" Danny asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Daniel smirked. He immediately shot several energy beams across the street; it was all Danny could do to dodge. The final blow hit, and Danny slammed into a brick wall and fell to the sidewalk below. When he rose from the dented concrete, Daniel had duplicated himself, and the four surrounded him. Danny tried to blast the copies away, but they each produced a shield.

"Don't you get it?" Daniel smirked. "You _can't_ defeat me! You can't stop me no matter what you do!" The four raised a hand towards Danny; a ghost ray began forming.

"No…no…" Danny began quietly. As the four came closer, his voice rose to a scream. "Get away… Get _AWAY!_" Before Daniel could react, Danny's ghostly wail echoed across the empty street. Daniel struggled for a moment; his copies vanished. Thinking quick, Daniel made a shield. It didn't completely _stop_ the assault, but it kept the wail from weakening him. Out of strength, Danny changed back to his human form. True, he'd had the power for over a year, but he still hadn't figured out the secret to using it.

Daniel yawned sarcastically. "I was hoping for a little more of a challenge, since Vlad decided to take it upon himself to 'train' you." Danny fell to his knees and balanced himself with a hand. Daniel walked to his side and stared down at him. He paused a moment before pulling Danny up by the shirt and slamming him against the wall. Danny fought for a moment against his grip. "Maybe I should just save you the trouble and put you out of _my_ misery." His hand rose, glowing brightly. Danny's eyes widened as that same smirk slid onto Daniel's face. The blast prepared, and Danny braced himself.

When his eyes opened, smoke rose from the wall beside him. Danny looked at Daniel; his eyes were fierce and his gaze unwavering. With no warning, Danny was thrown back down to the sidewalk. He tried to stand, managing to raise himself to all fours. Daniel kicked him hard in the stomach. Danny hit the ground again, this time with no breath; he gasped for air as he tried to stand again. He heard Daniel chuckle and footsteps approach him. Danny turned around just in time to be blasted with a ghost ray. When he hit the ground again, Danny didn't try to stand again. Instead, he just laid there waiting for Daniel to kill him.

"You truly are a disappointment," Daniel said, hunching over to become more level with Danny. He seized Danny by the shirt again. Danny didn't struggle this time; he just waited for Daniel to strike. Daniel clutched him for a moment before throwing him into the nearby alley. Danny slammed into the brick wall, then slumped to the pavement.

*~*~*0*~*~*

Danny's head spun as his eyes slowly opened. The fuzzy room around him seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite tell through the blurred blotches. Danny tried to sit up. His head throbbed and his body ached all over. Suddenly, he felt light-headed and sorely let his head fall back to the pillow. Danny laid there for a few minutes, just staring upward. His eyes began to focus and he realized he was staring up at his own ceiling. After a little while, his door quietly opened.

"Danny?" someone whispered.

"I'm awake," he groaned, shivering lightly as he pulled the covers a little tighter around him. The door opened all the way, and Anna entered the room. She closed the door behind her and smiled.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. "Oh—that was a stupid question…sorry…" They were both quiet for a moment in a slightly awkward silence. Anna sighed. "Is…there something you want to ask me?"

"How would _you_ know?" Danny replied skeptically.

"P.K, remember?" she countered. "If you don't _want _to ask me, that's fine…but I know there's something on your mind."

"It's…complicated…" Danny replied.

"I can imagine so," Anna said, sitting on the floor beside his bed. "I left to go see my mom and when I come back…you're injured and Sam and Tucker refuse to so much as _look_ at me…" She was quiet for a moment before looking up at him. "What happened?"

"Then you weren't…?" Danny asked, a little confused.

"…Weren't what?" she replied.

"Okay, this is going to sound _really_ bizarre to you, but…" Danny sighed. "Last year, there was this ghost that…tried to destroy everyone close to me…it…it's hard to explain," Danny replied, truly lost for words. "Anyway, he almost succeeded…but Clockwork, a ghost that controls time…and I thought was my enemy, wound up being on my side the whole time…we saved them, and the evil ghost was trapped inside a Fenton Thermos. Clockwork kept him outside of time because there was no way to completely eliminate him. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, I think so…" she replied.

"That ghost—the one that _was_ trapped in the Ghost Zone…he escaped about…I guess a little over four months ago. And…long story short, he's after them again…the other night, Sam's parents were nearly killed and Sam was attacked. She said that…when she found her parents…_you_ were behind her."

"What?" Anna gasped. "That's _crazy_! I wasn't—"

"I know…but Sam saw what she saw—that's why they're mad at you. Sam said that you transformed into that ghost and…"

"But, Danny…it _wasn't_ me—I swear it wasn't!" she pleaded.

"I know," Danny said. "I believe you. I think he might've just been posing as you…to distract us."

"Did you tell Sam that?" she asked.

"Well…Sam _gave_ me the idea, but…she said that this whole time, it must've been you," Danny replied. "I think maybe he just saw you leaving as an opportunity to 'get by.' I mean, if you were _really_ him this whole time, how would you've gotten passed the Ghost Shields?"

"So…you don't think it was me…?" she asked, almost in a whimper.

"No…I believe you, Anna," Danny smiled. "Actually, I think he might've been following you around for a little while."

"What?"

"Well, whenever a ghost is nearby, my Ghost Sense goes off. For a while, it would go off whenever you would enter the room…we decided that maybe he was after you, too."

"You think he's after me?"

"Well, I did, but…now I think he was just waiting for you to leave so that he could make his move…" They were quiet for a moment, and a quiet knock sounded from the doorway. The door cracked open.

"I…hope I'm not interrupting," Vlad said as he stepped through the door.

"Oh, not at all," Anna said, standing. "I was…just leaving. Thanks for the talk, Danny…I really appreciate it." She smiled as she turned; Anna passed Vlad and left. There was a brief silence after the door closed.

"Your mother left a little while ago. She should be back in a few hours." Vlad said. "How are you feeling?"

"How do you think?" Danny said with slight sarcasm. "You?"

"Fine, for the most part," Vlad replied. "Here," he added, handing Danny his wallet. Danny gave Vlad a curious look. "I told your mother that you were mugged," he replied. "I said I found this beside you." Danny took the wallet.

"Hey, I had a twenty in here!" Danny said. He looked up to Vlad whose hand was outstretched and held a limp bill. Danny smiled sheepishly and took the bill. "Thanks…I think."

"You're welcome," Vlad replied. "I can assume you were attacked by Daniel?"

"Yeah…I really thought I was dead…" Danny admitted. "I'm…guessing I really don't need to ask what happened to you…" Danny's voice trailed as he looked away. When Vlad didn't answer, he knew he was right. "…I'm sorry, Vlad…"

"You mustn't blame yourself, Danny—"

"How _can't _I?" Danny replied a little aggravated. "Everyone keeps telling me not to blame myself for anything, but it _is_ my fault! None of this would've happened if it weren't for _me_! How can you tell me it's not my fault when _I'm_ the one doing all of this?! All of this _is_ my—"

"Danny, listen," Vlad interrupted. "Daniel says he exists _outside_ of time—meaning that he is no longer you. He is his own being. Sure, he's still here, but it doesn't matter if you become him or not—he'll exist either way!"

"Oh, how would you know?"

"Because that's all he's blathered about the whole time he was staying in my castle. Daniel explained all of this to me—several times. It does seem possible." The room fell silent. Danny sighed.

"I just…wish there was something I could do…" he finally said. "And don't even suggest fighting him—even if I _could_ beat him, the only good it would do is trapping him inside another Fenton Thermos until he breaks it open again." They thought hard for a moment. "I have to do it…"

"What?"

"I have to go back into the Ghost Zone and find Clockwork—he's the only one that can help me now."

"Couldn't it wait until you're well?"

"I guess…but I need to as soon as possible—I don't want anyone else to get hurt…especially not because of me." Danny sighed. "How long was I unconscious?"

"About two days, I believe," he replied.

"That long?" Danny tried to remember what he was doing just before the attack. "Sam…is she okay?"

"Fine," Vlad replied. "She and your other friend have been by here several times to visit. I imagine they'll come by later…"

"…Thanks, Vlad…I owe you one," Danny smiled.

"Not at all, Danny, not at all," Vlad replied, waving a hand. "Now, get some rest. You'll need your strength." Vlad left at that. Danny paused for a moment. Fighting against the pain, he reached down and lifted his laptop from the floor. It clicked open and Danny logged on. It didn't surprise him when Sam and Tucker were both online and started a session with him before he had time to react.

"Danny!" Tucker exclaimed.

"Danny?" Sam said. "How are you—are you okay?"

"Fine…I guess," Danny replied. "What about you two?"

"Actually, my stomach has—" Tucker began.

"We're fine," Sam interrupted. "Listen—"

"What about…your parents?" Danny replied sadly.

"Their fine…they should be released in the next couple of days," Sam replied. "But Danny, 'Anna' is back…I'll bet—"

"Sam…I don't think Anna is really Daniel," Danny said.

"What?!" Sam and Tucker both responded.

"Well…what you said the other night—about Daniel being able to change forms…I've been thinking: what if you were right? Except that it hasn't been this _whole_ time, just…when she left."

"That makes sense…" Tucker said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, except for the part where Danny's Ghost Sense went off every time Anna came into a room…or how she knew where I _lived_…or—"

"Vlad and I think—"

"Vlad and you?" Sam interrupted. "Since when did you _actually_ start trusting him?"

"How about when he saved my _life?_" Danny replied. "Look, this isn't about Vlad, okay? I think Daniel was following her so that as soon as she left, he would have a chance to attack."

"Then what was the point of being Anna? Why not just attack as himself since he _showed_ me that he was her anyway?"

"A distraction?" Danny replied. "It all makes sense—he was waiting for a reason for us to distrust and hate Anna. She's probably his next target…"

"Since when has there been any _strategy_ to all of this?" Sam argued.

"I think Danny has a point, Sam," Tucker intervened. "Maybe there _was_ a strategy before and we just didn't notice."

"Exactly," Danny said.

"And besides—why would Anna be a target? She wasn't even involved to begin with! Daniel is after the people closest to you—isn't that what you said?"

"Sam, I—"

"Isn't it?!"

"Yes, but—"

"So why would she have anything to do with it now?"

"Because I _do_ care about her!" Danny argued.

"He's right, Sam," Tucker said. "Just because he didn't know her the first time doesn't mean anything. I mean, your parents weren't involved before, so…"

"Great—so now you're taking _his_ side?" Sam said.

"No, I'm just saying—"

"He told me that when you told Jazz he had to make sure she couldn't do anything about it. Dash, well…was self-explanatory. Your Dad…came downstairs while he was...doing something, I don't know what. And my parents…got in his way when he was looking for me," Sam explained. "I don't think he's _planning_ any of this—I think he's making it up as he goes."

"Or maybe he's trying to lure us away from his target," Tucker suggested.

"Which would explain why he was posing as Anna!" Sam yelled. "Didn't you notice that Anna tried to come between us—our friendship? Every time I suggested something, she would counter it; every time you would do something I totally disagreed with, she would agree with it!"

"Weird…" Tucker said, realizing what she was saying was true. "Hey, why am I not a target?" Danny and Sam both stared at him for a moment. "Not…that I would _want_ to be…"

"Oh, whatever," Danny said. "I don't feel like arguing about it now. I'm gonna get some rest."

"Fine...we'll talk later," Sam reluctantly replied.

"See you later, Danny," Tucker said.

Danny closed his laptop and could only imagine that Sam was going on about how closed-minded and wrong he was. Somehow, he didn't care. Danny hadn't felt this sure about something since he'd made the promise to Jazz.

Danny lay back on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He thought about Jazz…his father…Dash…Sam's parents…even Sam—all of them were innocent bystanders that just happened to get in _his_ way… He thought of Anna, probably Daniel's next target…

'_I won't let him win.'_


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: **The next two chapters are being posted. One remains, plus an epilogue. The final showdown is nearing...I hope you're ready for this! Reviews tend to make me update quicker...just fyi ;)

**Chapter Thirteen**

Several days had left Danny feeling a little better, though the bruises and cuts still lingered. Finally, he felt up to the journey into Ghost Zone. Danny wouldn't allow Sam and Tucker to follow him in the Specter Speeder like they wanted; he wouldn't risk _anything_ happening to them. So Sam and Tucker decided that they would come to his house for moral support as well as to keep watch. They knew as well as Danny that it would be a feat to go back into the Ghost Zone, but it couldn't be helped; it _had_ to be done.

Sam left for Danny's around lunchtime. Danny had told them to meet mid-afternoon. True, she left a little early, but for some reason, Sam felt like taking the long way around town.

The sun smiled down on her as she passed by the park, Casper High…the Amity Park Cemetery. As per the usual, Sam didn't really acknowledge the cemetery. She glanced over to the graveyard and took a double take when she noticed a man standing over a grave. He was tall and wore a black suit; grey hair danced gracefully in the slight breeze that passed by. Sam stared for a moment. _'Isn't that…Danny's dad's grave?'_ she thought. She watched the man for another moment before realizing who it was. Sam smiled softly to herself and continued to Danny's house.

When she arrived a little while later, Tucker was already there. He was watching TV; Danny stared absently into the screen. Danny stood and wasted no time. They headed to the basement.

"You sure you're gonna be okay?" Sam asked as Danny took in a deep breath.

"No, but…" he sighed. "I have to do this."

"Don't worry, Danny," Tucker said. "You'll be fine."

"And if you do need us, we each have a pair of Fenton Phones," Sam assured. "Just give us a call, and we'll be there."

"Thanks guys," Danny smiled. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Stay in the house and _don't_ lower the Ghost Shield."

"We know, Danny," Sam said. "We can handle it."

"Besides, what's the worst that could happen?" Tucker joked; a silence followed.

"Well…that's…reassuring," Danny replied, trying to be lighthearted.

"Not helping, Tucker."

"Oh…sorry—I was just…I thought, y'know…" Sam raised an eyebrow as he babbled. "…I'll just be quiet now..."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Danny, we'll be fine. Nothing will happen—we have the Ghost Shield up, and earphones to communicate through. There isn't anything we aren't prepared for."

"Thanks, Sam…I'll see you soon." Danny smiled as he turned his back to the two of them and faced the portal. He held his breath and closed his eyes; without looking, he headed into the Ghost Zone.

Danny wandered towards the castle. _'What's the point?'_ Danny wondered silently to himself. _'Clockwork won't be there to help me, and I'll just be wasting time…not to mention risking my neck…'_ The Ghost Zone was just as creepy as ever; random doors scattered the void in floating specks and a few ghosts passed by without noticing his presence. Danny took in a deep breath. _'Calm down, Danny...nothing is going to happen. None of these ghosts will acknowledge you as long as you don't acknowledge them.'_

Danny continued until finally he gazed upon the familiar castle. Danny took a deep breath; hesitating, Danny opened the door.

"C-Clockwork?" he asked nervously.

"Do come in," the reply came. "I've been expecting you."

"Clockwork?!" Danny said. "You're…you're here! I don't believe it…"

"I am here, and I know why you've come," he replied, turning and offering a piece of scorched metal.

"Exactly…I've been here a couple of times, but…you were never here," Danny said. "I was starting to wonder if something had happened to you… Why haven't you been here?"

"Just because you don't see something doesn't mean it isn't there."

"But if you were here…why didn't you help me?"

"Because I wanted you to figure it out on your own this time," Clockwork said. "You see, if I aid you right away when you have a problem, you won't know how to deal with things on your own anymore."

"I've tried, but…I can't stop him…he's too powerful."

"That's where you're wrong," Clockwork corrected. "True, you have tried, and true, he is powerful. But you are the only one that can stop him."

"But how?!" Danny pleaded. "Every time I try something, he's a step ahead of me and I get my butt kicked!"

"Just remember that, no matter what happens…no matter how strong he is…he's still a part of you," Clockwork said. "Nothing can change that."

"But…he said that, because he existed outside of time…it didn't matter what happened to me—he would still exist," Danny explained.

"He is wrong," he said. "He will _always_ be a part of you. This battle is one that must have many sacrifices in order to be won. And only you can defeat him… I am afraid that is all the help I can offer."

"But, Clockwork, you don't understand—he's already—"

"I know that he has succeeded in killing several…this cannot be changed. However, you can control what happens next." With that Clockwork vanished into his time warp and Danny was left standing alone in an empty castle.

"Guys, you there?" Danny said, switching on his earphone.

"Danny, are you okay?" Sam's voice replied.

"Yeah…fine," Danny sighed.

"Did you find Clockwork?" Tucker asked.

"Actually…yeah," Danny replied.

"And?" they both replied.

"He…didn't really help," Danny said. "The only help he said he could offer was to remember that—" Danny half mimicked Clockwork as he continued, "…'no matter what happens or how strong he is, he's still apart of you,' or something like that…"

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Tucker replied.

"Don't know, but I'm heading back to the Portal," Danny said. "I should be there soon—we can talk about it then." Disappointed, Danny left the empty castle and headed to the Portal.

*~*~*0*~*~*

"Do I know you?" Valerie asked, barely cracking the door. "Who are you?"

"We've never _met_, Valerie," the man smiled. "But you do know _of_ me." Valerie raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Vlad. Vlad Masters."

"Wait…" Valerie said. "Vlad? Why is that name familiar…?"

"I'll give you a hint," Vlad replied. "Danny Phantom."

"Wait, I remember you…" she realized. "You sent me…the ghost hunting equipment. I hope you don't expect me to_ pay_ for any of that."

"Not at all, my dear," Vlad said. "I was actually hoping for a favor."

"Favor? What kind of favor?"

*~*~*0*~*~*

"Well, if it isn't my _favorite_ ghost child," a voice mocked from behind him. Danny didn't have to turn around to recognize the voice—it was one he knew all too well.

"Skulker—I'm not here to pick a fight," Danny surrendered. "I'm just passing through."

"Alone?" Skulker questioned. "Where are the other two that usually follow you around everywhere?"

"They're…wait—why do you care?" Danny asked.

"I never said that I _cared_," Skulker replied. "Though your defensive behavior _does_ spark my curiosity."

"They're in my world—they didn't come with me."

"Both of them?"

"Yes, both of them—why do you want to know?" Danny asked.

"I…had to make sure they weren't 'hiding in the shadows' to _save_ you," Skulker replied, a slightly wicked grin sliding onto his face.

"Oh," Danny laughed nervously. "Well, would you look at the time—I better be off!" Before Skulker could react, Danny sped off invisibly into the Ghost Zone. He had no problem making it the rest of the way. After encountering Skulker, Danny was a little nervous about being in the Ghost Zone alone and vulnerable. When he finally exited the Portal, Sam and Tucker sat in the lab.

"Wow, you two look really bored," Danny joked, becoming visible.

"Danny!" Sam said, jumping up to hug him.

"So…Clockwork's not going to help you, is he?" Tucker said.

"No...he said he couldn't," Danny sighed. "The only thing told me was that I control what happens next."

"So…what should we do?" Sam asked.

"I'm…not sure…" Danny replied.

"Danny!" Maddie's voice came from upstairs.

"Uh—just a second!" Danny replied, changing forms.

"Oh, there you are," Maddie said as she opened the door to the lab. "Vlad and I are…well, he, uh…is taking me out to dinner." Over her shoulder, Danny saw Vlad smile sheepishly. Danny shot him a look as Maddie continued. "We should be back in a couple of hours. Will you be okay by yourselves?"

"Yeah, we'll be fine," Danny replied. "Have a good time." Danny shot Vlad another look as Maddie turned away. The three headed upstairs, and Danny sighed as he plopped onto the couch.

"Well, that's slightly awkward," Tucker joked.

"Once again, not helping," Sam replied.

"Sorry," Tucker said. "So…now what?" Danny let out a long sigh; his face was buried in his hands and stress seemed to radiate from his body.

"Don't worry, Danny…we'll figure something out," Sam assured. "I know we will." Without warning, Danny's Ghost Sense went off. Sam and Tucker noticed, and Danny looked around franticly.

"Hey guys," Anna said, halfway down the stairs.

"Anna?!" they all three said at once.

"…What?" she asked.

"Danny," Sam said, not breaking her glare. "Could I see you in the kitchen for a second?" Without letting him answer, she dragged him into the kitchen. "Danny, what is _she_ doing here?"

"Sam…I don't think—"

"That's right, you _don't_ think. Your Ghost Sense—what if she's Daniel?"

"Sam, I really doubt he'd try the same trick twice."

"And he knows you'd think like that," Sam pointed out. "Besides, if he's not posing as her, why did your Ghost Sense go off?"

"…Oh, no…"

"What?"

"I think…" Danny began. "Okay, you're going to think I'm wrong, but I think he's really after her this time."

"Why—why do you keep believing that?!" Sam yelled. Danny pointed to the living room behind her. Tucker and Anna both backed away from Daniel whose face was lit with the same smirk as always. Before Sam could say anything, Danny went ghost and rushed to their aid.

"Get away from them!" Danny yelled.

"And what are you going to do to stop me?" Daniel replied. Danny replied with a ghost ray that was quickly absorbed by a self-generated shield. "Oh, please—haven't we been through this?" Danny stopped and Daniel lowered his shield. Danny smirked and gave him a swift blast. He yelled and disappeared. Danny landed.

"Okay, that was _too_ easy," Tucker said.

"And you're complaining?!" Anna asked, obviously shocked by what had just happened.

"…A copy…" Danny thought aloud, changing forms.

"A copy?" Anna inserted. "Of what?"

"What do you think it means?" Sam asked stepping up beside him.

"I think it's a threat…he's going to strike soon." Danny sat absently on the couch. "We have to think fast."

"Will someone please explain what is going on?!" Anna yelled.

"You remember that ghost I told you about?" Danny asked; she nodded. "Well…_that_ was that ghost—or at least a copy of him."

"But what about the Ghost Shield?" Sam asked. "Isn't it activated?"

"I remember seeing it on when we were downstairs earlier," Tucker replied. "Maybe he got in through the Ghost Portal?"

"Doubt it…" Danny sighed. "I think he knows that I have no clue what his plans are and that he's always a step ahead of me…and that there's nothing I can do to stop him."

"But I thought Clockwork said…" Tucker began.

"Wait—what?!" Anna piped up before she could stop herself.

"Never mind," he replied to Anna before addressing Tucker. "I _know_ what he said, Tucker…but there's no way…" Danny sighed again and rose from the couch. "Never mind…it's getting late. Why don't we all get some rest, and we can talk later."

"Sounds good," Anna said, promptly heading to the stairs. "Good night." She quickly trotted upstairs and Jazz's door closed behind her a moment later.

"Are you going to stay with Tucker?" Danny asked Sam.

"Probably…but first," Sam replied. "I…think I owe someone an apology. I'm sorry, Danny…I guess…I _was_ wrong about her."

"It's okay," he smiled. "I can't say I blame you."

Sam smiled and looked up to the stairs. "I'll be right back…" She slowly walked upstairs and knocked on Jazz's door.

"Just a second!" she yelled from the other side. In a moment the door opened. "…Sam?"

"Hi," she replied. "Could…I come in for just a second?"

"Oh…sure," Anna replied, stepping aside.

"Listen," Sam began, sitting on Jazz's bed. "I know I've been really hard on you, and…" she sighed. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Anna replied, sitting beside her. "Danny summed things up, and…I understand. If I was in your position, I would be skeptical as well."

"So…truce?" Sam smiled, offering a hand.

"_Friends_," Anna corrected, accepting.

"Well, I have to go," Sam said, standing. "See you tomorrow?"

"Of course," Anna smiled. The door closed behind Sam as she left. Anna chuckled. "I wouldn't miss a second."

*~*~*0*~*~*

"Thank you for dinner," Maddie said as the waiter collected their plates.

"It's the least I can do, Maddie," Vlad replied.

"Uh-huh," she replied, skeptically sipping from her glass.

"You've allowed me to stay in your home—rent-free and without paying for food, laundry…" Vlad said.

"So…you're sure this isn't another ploy to convince me to fall in love with you because you're bitter and alone…?" she replied.

"Of course not, Maddie," Vlad responded.

"What are you saying?" Maddie asked. "That you _don't _have feelings for me? Yeah, right!"

"I…respect what you and Jack had together," Vlad replied; he looked away from her. "True, I will always care for you in a way that you don't care for me. But now I realize what a fool I've been. I can't change the past, Maddie…I can only work to rebuild the bridges I broke so long ago."

"Vlad…" Maddie said.

"I know I could never replace Jack in your life," he admitted. "But…I can only hope to be a better friend than what I've been in the past twenty years."

Maddie smiled. The waiter brought the bill, and Vlad paid. Speechless, Maddie stood. Vlad followed her to the door and they began the walk home.

*~*~*0*~*~*

Danny had just dozed off when he heard his mother's laughter enter the room. When he opened his door, he heard them talking. He turned invisible and headed for the staircase. His mother's eyes were bright and her smile vivid. She thanked Vlad again and came up the stairs. Danny remained completely undetected. Meanwhile Vlad sat on the couch. Visible again, Danny walked down the stairs.

"Did we wake you?" Vlad asked as Danny sat on the couch.

"No," he replied simply.

"Are you angry with me?" Vlad asked.

"Because you're _still _hitting on my mom?" Danny answered sarcastically. "Why would you think that?"

"Don't get the wrong idea, Danny," Vlad assured. "I was merely thanking your mother for allowing me to stay for the last little while. I had no intentions of her falling in love with me. I could never _replace_ Jack or duplicate her love for him." Vlad looked away and his face grew dim. "I've been so bent on hating Jack that…I never really realized…" Vlad sighed. "Not that I expect you to understand—you're what fourteen? Fifteen?" Danny scowled for a second, then sighed as his face turned into a slight smile.

"I think…" Danny began, sitting beside Vlad. "I think my dad would be happy...glad that you were here watching over her—over _us_."

"After all the things I put your father through?" Vlad replied. "I highly doubt that, Danny."

"Are you kidding?" Danny said. "My dad thought the world of you. He considered you to be friends, and the best, at that."

"He…really thought that?" Vlad asked. "That…we were friends?"

"Yeah…" Danny replied. "He was so excited when he talked about you on the way to that college reunion last year. Dad was _so_ happy that you'd finally forgiven him—even if you really hadn't." Vlad didn't answer, and Danny could see that he was overcome with guilt. "I think…he would've _wanted_ you to watch over Mom—no matter how much you annoyed her."

"And what do you think your mother would think about that?" Vlad asked. "About me 'watching over' the two of you."

"To be honest," Danny began, "I haven't seen her this happy since…in several months."

"…Really?" Vlad replied, looking at him.

Danny smiled. "It's nice to see her smile again." Danny stood from the couch and turned to the stairs. He snuck one last glance at Vlad before heading off to bed.

*~*~*0*~*~*

Danny tossed and turned on his mattress. His eyes glanced at the clock, one forty-one. Only a single minute had passed since he had last checked. He sighed as he looked out his window. The blinds were pulled open to display the moon brightly hanging over Amity Park. He closed his eyes and thought to himself.

'_What is Daniel planning? Why did he only make a copy of himself…and where was he? Could Sam be right…? Could Anna really be…?'_ Danny sighed and opened his eyes. _'No—Daniel _attacked_ Anna. If he _was _Anna, he couldn't've…could he? Or maybe he was really after Tucker…but then why would Anna…?'_ Danny growled to himself; he wasn't going to get _any_ sleep until he could figure things out. _'But how can I really be sure that Anna is Anna and _not_…?'_ Danny sat up. "The Disguise Breaker!" he thought aloud.

Quickly, Danny jumped from his bed and, changing forms, headed to the lab. He found the invention lying on the counter where Maddie had left it when she came in from her hunt. Quietly, he headed back upstairs. Jazz's door was closed; Danny's Ghost Sense went off as he reached for the door knob. Hesitating, he turned invisible and pushed the door open. The curtains were pulled tightly over the window, making the room almost completely dark. Danny heard something move in the corner and then the slight sound of covers rustling.

Danny froze. After a moment the sounds ceased and Danny let out a breath. He put on the eye piece. Almost instantly, the room was outline in night vision. _'You'll see,'_ he thought, looking around the room. _'You have nothing—'_ Danny gasped.

Daniel lay sound asleep in Jazz's bed where Anna should be laying. His eyes shot open at the sudden sound and Daniel rose from the bed. He glanced around suspiciously and flew over to the open door. Careful eyes scanned the hallway for any movement before he closed the door. Silently, Danny phased through the wall and went to his own room.

Sam had been right.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Danny didn't waste any time. Invisible, he phased through the wall and flew quickly down the street. Thoughts raced through his mind as he rounded street corners, his body moving hypnotically through Amity Park.

When he reached the familiar building, all of the windows in the house were dark and blocked with blinds. Danny knew by memory which window belonged to Tucker, and he didn't hesitate. With agile speed, he raced towards the window. Suddenly, Danny slammed head long into an invisible force field. The invisible ghost shield. From outside, he had no way to deactivate the obstacle, and had no way to get their attention through the closed window. At least, not without making a scene and that was the last thing he wanted with his mom out on patrol. _'There's no time,'_ Danny thought. Desperately, he began ramming it and fired ghost rays that were absorbed into thin air.

"Tucker?" Sam whispered loudly. She rose from the floor and shook him lightly. "Tucker!" she said in a hushed tone. Tucker finally stirred as Sam cautiously approached the window.

"Wha…?" he yawned. "Sam…? Sam, it's not even two in the morning. What–?"

"Shhh," she shushed. "Don't you hear that? There's something outside." She yanked the cord on the blinds, and outside, Danny Phantom relentlessly attacked the invisible Ghost Shield. "Danny?!" she asked, opening the window.

"Sam!" Danny stopped attacking the Ghost Shield. "Tell Tucker to lower the Ghost Shield—I need to get in!"

"Okay," Tucker half-yawned as he reached for the PDA.

"No, Tucker!" Sam protested. "Don't! It could be a trap!"

"What?!" Danny replied. "Sam—it's me, Danny! Please, you _have_ to let me in!"

"But how do I know that?" she answered. "Maybe you're Daniel just _posing_ as Danny."

"What?!" Danny said, shocked. She had a valid point, but there was no time for an argument. "Sam—it _is_ me! You have to trust me!"

"If you are really Danny," Sam began, "You'd be able to get in easily…_without_ lowering the shield."

"Um, Sam," Danny said. "I'm a _ghost._ I can't really go through a _Ghost_ Shield."

"He has a point," Tucker interjected.

"But Danny is only _half_ ghost," Sam responded. "_Danny_ can just turn human and go right through the shield." Danny thought for a moment, and slammed his palm against his forehead. He drifted downward until his feet touched the sidewalk, and changed forms. Human again, he stepped through the Ghost Shield and went ghost again so that he could get up to the window. Sam smiled as she moved aside to let him in.

"Sorry," Sam apologized as Danny landed beside her. "I just…I had to be sure…"

"I know—it's okay," Danny said. "I understand. But…there's something you need to know."

"…Okay," Sam replied unsurely. There was a hesitant silence as Danny tried to find the words. "…Well?"

"Anna…Daniel is…I mean…" Danny began.

"Dude, just spit it out," Tucker said, still half under the blankets.

"You were right," he finally managed to say through pants of heavy breaths.

"What?" Sam asked. "What are you talking abo—?"

"Anna," Danny said, looking away. "You were right about her, Sam. She _is_ Daniel."

"What?!" Sam and Tucker gasped simultaneously.

"Are you sure?" Sam asked.

Danny nodded. "I'm so sorry, Sam…"

"But…then how…?" Tucker began confusedly. "But he attacked me _and_ Anna—how could he…?"

"I don't know," Danny replied. "But…somehow he _did_. That's why it was only a copy."

"He must've been trying to make me trust Anna," Sam said. "How'd you find out?"

"The Disguise Breaker," Danny replied. "I just happened to think about it…and…" He sighed as he sat on the corner of the bed. "What should I do?"

"Nothing," Tucker replied, yawning. "Get some sleep and we'll think of a plan tomorrow."

"…You're _joking_, right?" Danny said. "The homicidal ghost that's killed three people is sleeping in _my_ house in my sister's bed—the sister that he _killed_—and you want me to pretend like I don't know and _sleep_?!"

"Danny, calm down," Sam replied. "Tucker has a point. If you're gone too long, he may catch on that you know something. We should wait until tomorrow and try to figure something out."

"Exactly," Tucker said. "And if you act like you don't know anything, he won't suspect anything—we'll have the advantage of a surprise attack!"

"…You want me to pretend like I don't know anything?!" Danny replied. "But I can't just—!"

"Danny, you're just going to have to let it go," Sam said. "I know it's hard, but you just _have_ to. Go home; try to get some rest. We'll figure out something tomorrow."

Danny sighed, defeated. "Fine…I'll see you tomorrow…"

"It'll be fine, Danny," Sam said as Tucker lowered the Ghost Shield. "I promise." Danny gave a weak, half-hearted smile as he flew out the window and back towards his house. Remembering that the ghost shield stayed activated up, he landed on the sidewalk near by his house and changed forms. He knew the front door would be locked, so he changed back and phased through.

The house was dark, and Danny could barely make out the faint shadows of the chairs. Suddenly, he heard a gasp from the living room.

"Sorry, Vlad—it's me," Danny whispered.

"Danny?" Vlad said softly. "What are you doing up at this hour?"

"It's…a _long_ story," he replied, deciding he shouldn't tell Vlad just yet. Maybe tomorrow, but not now—not when Daniel could easily be listening. "Sorry I woke you up."

"It's alright," Vlad replied suspiciously. Before he could ask anything, Danny headed up to his room. He silently changed forms before lying back on his bed underneath his wadded covers. Danny let out an exhausted sigh full of worry as he stared at the ceiling. Weary lids closed over blue eyes, but no sleep came as he lay there for the next several hours. Eventually, he gave up the futile attempt as the sun began peeking through the blinds, leaving creases of sunlight across his face. It wasn't long before a quiet knock broke the silence. After a moment, the door silently slid open.

"Danny?" Maddie said softly. "Danny? Breakfast is ready." She quietly walked over to his bed. Danny lay on his back, eyes staring at the ceiling above. He didn't acknowledge her as she approached. "Sweetie, are you alright?"

Without looking her way, Danny responded. "Yeah…fine…" he lied.

"Breakfast is ready," she repeated. She pushed his always-messy hair back from his face. "If you're hungry," she added with a comforting smile.

"Yeah…I'll be down in a minute, Mom," he replied, still not looking her way. With a small, disappointed sigh, she left the room, closing the door silently behind her. Danny sat up from the lumpy bed, yawning widely. Sluggishly, he drug his feet down the hallway and to the kitchen, plopping down in a chair by the table. Behind him, Vlad and Maddie exchanged worried looks.

"Danny," Maddie said, placing a plate in front of him. "Would you like to see if Anna wants any breakfast?"

"If _she_ wants it, _she_ can come get it," Danny snarled. Maddie didn't say anything as she set out the rest of the four plates and helped Vlad finish breakfast. They had just begun eating when Danny's Ghost Sense went off. He didn't have to look at Vlad to see if his did as well, and he didn't have to guess why.

"Good morning, _Anna,_" Danny said. "You're in a good mood."

"Is there a reason I _shouldn't_ be?" Anna replied, pouring herself a glass of orange juice; Danny wasn't sure if her face was a smile or just a sly smirk. He decided probably the latter as the glass tipped to her lips and she swished it down.

"No," he said after a moment. "It's a nice day." She turned, satisfied, and headed into the living room. Anna picked up her back pack from the couch.

"See you later," she said.

"Leaving so soon?" Danny said.

"Don't worry, Danny. I'll be back," she replied as she opened the door. "I just have to go to the library." She left without another word, closing the door behind her.

"I guess I couldn't get too lucky," he mumbled to himself. Vlad caught his eye as he and Maddie exchanged another concerned expression. Eyes focusing on his eggs, Danny picked at his food for another moment before placing the fork beside the untouched meal.

"I'll be back," Danny said. "I just…need to use the bathroom." Before either could question, his loud footsteps pounded upstairs. Maddie stared after him for a moment before her concerned eyes landed on Vlad.

"I'll go talk to him," Vlad said as he rose from his seat.

"What makes you think he'll talk to you if he won't talk to me?" Maddie replied, clearly offended.

"Just…trust me on this one, Maddie," he replied. She sighed, but didn't argue as Vlad quietly went upstairs. He heard a loud thud from the room on the end of the hall—Danny's room. Cautiously, he approached, lightly pushing the cracked door open. Inside, Danny stood with his head against the wall, fist propped in an indention in the drywall.

"What do you want?" Danny asked, without looking at him.

"Simply to know what's wrong," Vlad answered. "You've been acting rather strange lately."

"I wonder why," Danny said sarcastically. "Take a look around, Vlad. Jazz, my dad, Dash—all of them died because of _me_!"

"You mustn't blame yourself, Danny," Vlad insisted.

"Why?" Danny almost yelled.

"Not you, Danny," Vlad corrected. "You and he…you aren't the same. He said that he exists without you—as a new being. I think what he's said _is_ possible, and—"

"Oh, how would _you_ know, Vlad?" Danny interrupted.

"We've been through this, Danny, he told me—" Vlad replied.

"That doesn't matter anymore," Danny said. "None of it. He _is_ me—regardless of what happens. And he's been toying with me the whole time because…he knows there's nothing I can do to stop him."

"Danny, I think you may be the only one that _can_ stop him," Vlad said. "And besides, I don't think he's 'toying' anymore."

"He's been hiding right under my nose the whole time," Danny sighed. "He knew that I would never suspect her, and…he was right. He _knows _there's nothing I can do!"

"What do you mean, hiding under your nose?"

"He _is_ Anna!" Danny said, almost shouting.

"He…he is?" Vlad replied with slight awe.

"He knew that once he got close to me, I would never suspect a thing…and I fell for it!"

"Danny, you can't blame yourself—no one could've _possibly_—"

"Sam kept telling me that something wasn't right…that she was bad news. And even after she was attacked and _told_ me that Anna was really him, I didn't believe her. But she was right," Danny sighed, feeling the anger well up into tears. His teeth gritted, and he forced them back. "And now he's got me right where he wants me—I can't do _anything_ to stop him!"

"That's not true, Danny," Vlad argued. "Listen to me, Danny. If _anyone_ can beat him, you can."

"No, I can't," Danny said. "He's too powerful, and he knows all of my weaknesses because he _is_ me. I don't stand a chance against him."

"Well, if he _is_ you, then you should know his weaknesses as well."

"If only it were that simple," Danny replied.

"Isn't it?" Vlad said. "Think about it, Danny: his weaknesses are _your _weaknesses. You know your limits, your disadvantages—use them _against_ him. It shouldn't be—"

"You're forgetting one very important detail," Danny interrupted. "I'm half human—he's not. My _friends_ are my weakness; the ones I care about are my disadvantage. He killed them for his own fun and amusement—he doesn't care about them or anyone! And my powers have more limits than his because he's me ten years in the future. Even if I do know _my_ limits, his are different." Vlad was silent. "I told you, I can't beat him, even if I _want_ to."

"Are you telling me you _don't_ want to defeat him?" Vlad asked. Their eyes met as Danny turned to face him.

"I…" Danny replied, turned away. "What's the point? I'll fight, get my butt kicked, and then watch helplessly as he kills someone else and frames me for it. What's the use in even trying?" Vlad stared at Danny, lost for words. He turned and walked towards the door.

"I used to envy you," Vlad finally said as he placed a hand on the door frame. "Your strong heart, your stubborn determination, your utter disdain for defeat…I used to find myself annoyed—distraught, even—because of it. But, deep down…I admired you for that unbreakable and unwavering will." Danny turned slightly too look at Vlad, whose back still faced him. Vlad sighed. "I guess…I was wrong about you." Without another word, Vlad walked away, closing the door silently behind him. Danny watched after him, his stare lingering in the doorway even after Vlad was gone.

Danny sighed. As much as he _hated_ to admit it, Vlad was right.

He took in a deep breath before re-entering the kitchen. He noticed the table had been cleaned off, except for his plate. Vlad and Maddie stood by the sink doing dishes and chatting quietly about something. He walked to the table unnoticed, and stared at his cold plate of breakfast. He caught a few words and phrases of their conversation. It really didn't make sense, but part of him really didn't care whatthey were talking about.

"…doesn't want me to know…but I don't want…" Maddie muttered over the dishwater.

"Maddie," Vlad started. "…knows what he's doing. Trust me."

"But I don't want him to get _hurt_, I mean…"

"He'll be fine, Maddie…watch over…" Vlad suddenly sensed Danny's presence in the room and looked over his shoulder. Maddie, too, looked behind her at Danny.

"Oh, Danny," Maddie said. "I didn't know if you were going to eat…"

"Nah…I'm not really all that hungry," he replied picking up the plate and dumping its contents into the garbage. "Why don't you let me finish these up?"

"Are you sure, sweetie?" she replied.

"Yeah," he smiled lightly. Maddie kissed his forehead and headed down to the basement. Running water and the clanks of dishes filled the silence between the two.

"Danny, listen," Vlad began as he dried a dish, "I shouldn't have been so hard on you. I know how stressful this must be for you. I shouldn't have said what I did."

"No," Danny replied, handing him another. "I'm glad you did. Because of that, I realized…you were right. You…Sam and Tucker…you've been right this whole time. I know I _shouldn't_ blame myself – he _isn't_ me. But…part of me can't help but feel responsible. Either way, I forgot that…I fight ghosts; I don't give up because one knocks me down a few times. I get up and fight anyway. I still have to fight. If I don't, this will _never_ end." There was a silence between them.

"You said that Clockwork said _you_ had to beat him," Vlad said. "He didn't say you had to fight him alone."

"No offense, but I don't think the two of us could handle him," Danny replied.

"What about Valerie?" Vlad suggested. "She has excellent aim and state-of-the-art equipment. And Maddie—"

"I don't want to get Valerie involved," Danny said. "I mean, last time I tried to get her help, she was attacked. And Mom…she doesn't know – about _any_ of this. Not to mention she thinks I killed Dad – she wants to _destroy_ me."

"But _surely_ if you were to explain the situation—"

"You _know _I can't do that, Vlad," he interrupted. "I don't know _what _she'd think. I mean – she thinks Danny Phantom killed Dad – if I tell her _I'm_ Danny Phantom…"

"…Then she'll _know_ you didn't," he replied. "Your mother knows you would _never_ hurt anyone – especially not your own father. Maddie will believe you, Danny."

"…I don't know…" Danny said. "I mean…what if…"

"She won't think ill of you, Danny. She'll understand. Trust me."

"I…" he began, "…I'll think about it. For now, I could use the training while Daniel isn't around."

"We'll have to wait until night time and sneak out once 'Anna' is asleep," Vlad suggested.

"And if he's inside when the Ghost Shield goes up…"

"…He can't get out."

"Exactly," Danny replied. "Sam and Tucker are meeting me later to try to come up with a plan. I'll let you know what we figure out."

"Alright," Vlad agreed. "If I think of anything that can be of use, I won't hesitate to let you know."

"Sounds like a plan," Danny said, shutting the water off as Vlad dried the last dish. "Gotta run – I'm meeting them in a few minutes. I'm leaving a note for Mom, but let her know that I'm with them if she asks."

"Good luck, Danny."

*~*~*0*~*~*

"Okay, so what do we know?" Tucker asked as he opened something on his PDA and began typing.

"Well," Sam began, "We know that Daniel exists outside of time and claims that Danny's fate is meaningless to his existence; that he will do virtually anything he wants regardless of the impact on, well, anything; and that he is or is posing as Anna to stay close to us and especially Danny."

"Clockwork said that I was the only one that could beat him. He also said that, whether Daniel realizes it or not, we will always be a part of one another…so no matter what happens, I'm a part of him," Danny elaborated.

"Do you think he has a plan?" Tucker asked, still typing.

"I'm not sure…" Danny replied. "I know he has an objective and maybe a basic layout of a plan, but…part of me thinks he's just making it up as he goes."

"I don't know, Danny," Sam said. "I mean, his plan…well, it seems to be about coming between you and your family and friends. Think about it: he killed Jazz which made you distance yourself and lie to everyone; then he killed Dash to keep Valerie somewhat against you; next was your dad – since then, you've said you and your mom have been growing apart; his last attack was me. Anna was meant to come between you and your friends – me and Tucker. He tried to kill me, and I'm sure Tucker was just a matter of time. It seems too organized to be improvised."

"Maybe his basic plan is to come between Danny and us but he is improvising how to do it," Tucker suggested.

"But why?" Danny interrupted. "The whole reason I became him was because I tragically lost all of the people I cared about. If that created him, why would he want to distance me from that?" A silence fell between them.

"Okay…so we don't know what or how he's planning," Sam finally concluded. "But how can we stop him?"

"_We_ don't," Danny replied. "I'm the only one that can."

"But that doesn't mean we can't help, Danny," Sam said. "Clockwork never said you couldn't have help _before_ the final blow. Besides – you _know_ you can't beat him alone."

"I know…but…" Danny sighed. The room grew silent once again.

"…I think I might have an idea," Sam finally said.

*~*~*0*~*~*

Nine thirty approached. Danny sat anxiously in the den, waiting for the door to quietly creak open. Vlad sat with him, but a silence had fallen between them. Having Vlad present was reassuring…but Danny couldn't help but dread the inevitable conversation that approached. Finally, the sound of Maddie's keys could be heard jingling on the doorstep, and the door unlocked. It opened quietly, and she stepped inside.

"How is everything?" she asked casually, placing her ghost hunting equipment in the corner. She stepped into the kitchen and fixed a glass of water before sitting down in the chair across from them.

"Just fine," Vlad answered when Danny didn't speak. Danny swallowed hard at the lump that caught in his throat, and Vlad gave him a reassuring nudge. Again, he didn't speak. "Actually, Danny had something he wanted to tell you." Vlad's eyes met hers and she understood the silent message.

"Oh really?" she leaned forward, intrigued, and smiled warmly. Danny looked at her and then up to Vlad who gave him an optimistic nod.

"Okay, here goes," he sighed heavily. "Well…I'm not really…exactly sure how to tell you this, Mom… Uh…I'm – uh…I mean… When you and Dad first made the Ghost Portal, and it didn't work…I…well, I kinda went inside it and… Well, it's kind of fuzzy but…" He let out a sigh and swallowed again. His tongue clung to dryly to the roof of his mouth and he felt as though the room had gotten hotter. Shaky fingers ruffled through his hair, and cobalt eyes stared at the floor.

"Danny, if you aren't ready to tell me –" she began.

"No," he interrupted. Their eyes met, and he smiled. "It's time you knew the truth." He closed his eyes, and a bright pale blue light flooded the den. When it dissipated, he stood before her in his ghost form – as Danny Phantom. She stared, wide-eyed and surprised. "When I came out of the Ghost Portal, I was…like this. Part ghost. I always hid it from you and Dad – and Jazz, until she figured it out. For a while, Sam and Tucker were the only ones that knew. I guess…I was just afraid that…that you would think of me as, well…a science experiment." When Maddie said nothing, Danny allowed himself to continue. "Once I got these powers, I started fighting ghosts and protecting Amity Park. I know…you probably think badly of me…because of Dash and…what happened to Dad…"

"Of course I don't think badly of you, sweetie!" Maddie said. She stood suddenly, tears in her eyes, and wrapped her arms around him. "Honey, I know you would never hurt anyone – especially your father. I'm so sorry that I blamed you."

"No, don't apologize, Mom," he replied, changing back. "I mean…I know how it looked…and…I know…I know who killed him." A silence fell over them and she studied his weary face intently.

"Who?" she asked urgently.

Vlad cleared his throat. "While we are putting all of the cards on the table," he said. "You should know, Danny, that your mother knows of my identity already."

"You do?" he turned to his mother, somewhat surprised. She nodded.

"Well, when your mother and I fought, she shorted my powers," Vlad explained.

"Good," Danny nodded. "Then…Mom…we need your help…" Danny took in a heavy breath. "You see, the ghost…the one that killed Dad…well…he…he _is_ me."

"What?!" she exclaimed.

"Well…sort of," he continued, a little more tentative than before. He stepped away, and walked over to the window. "He's me from the future…or at least, he was. A year ago, I beat him and managed to trap him in the Ghost Zone, but now he's escaped and says that he exists outside of time. And…if we don't stop him…" A warm hand rubbed his shoulder, and he let his head hang. "I don't want him to hurt anyone else."

"And he won't, Danny," she replied, letting her arms wrap around him. "We'll stop him." Danny smiled and turned, returning his mother's warmth.

"There's…something else you should know," Danny sighed. She dropped the embrace and their eyes met. "This ghost…he…he's the one that killed Jazz." The warmth left her face, and he knew she was trying to hide her anger. But tight lips and stone skin revealed how she felt, and Danny let his head hang with shame. "I'm sorry, Mom…"

"It…it isn't your fault, Danny," she assured. "But we _will_ take this ghost down. Do you two have a plan yet?"

"Well, Sam came up with something, and I think it might work," Danny replied. Vlad leaned forward with interest and Maddie sat beside him. "Or at least catch him off guard."


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Notes: **Well, this is the finale. I'm posting the epilogue now, too, just because I'm afraid I'll forget to. I thank all of the readers out there, especially to the few that did take the time to review. It's an old fanfiction, but I'm actually a little bit fond of this one. Enjoy the finale!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter Fifteen<strong>

"Okay, Danny," Sam said over the Fenton Phones. "Everyone's in position and ready to go."

"Alright," Danny replied. His insides knotted a little tighter, and for a moment he felt sick. "Here goes everything." Danny knocked on Jazz's door, and shortly after it opened.

"Danny?" Anna said. "Why are you in your ghost form?"

"I wanna show you something," Danny replied quietly. "Come outside with me."

"O…kay," she said uncertainly. He took her hand, and led her down the stair. "Where are we going?" she asked, and Danny knew he was trying to figure out what he was up to. But Danny wasn't telling.

"You'll see," he said. The headed out the door and into the dark street. Nearby a streetlamp flickered, and clouds hid the moon ominously. A swift summer breeze passed by and wind chimes clattered in distance. She turned, and Danny had disappeared.

"Danny?" she called. "Where are you?" Eyes glanced around the empty street, and nervously she took a defensive stance. Suddenly, a blast came from her right, and she fell to the pavement. She stood, and another shot passed. "Danny, what's going on?!" she yelled with frustration. Another beam, this one stronger than the last, pushed her back to the ground, and for a moment, she was dazed. Suddenly, Danny appeared before her, hands glowing bright green.

"Give up the act, Daniel," he said, fierce green eyes piercing the disguise. "I know who you are." Another blast shot towards the girl, and suddenly an ectoplasmic shield blocked the beam.

"Very good, Danny," he said, his form changing before Danny's eyes. "It took you long enough to catch on. I was beginning to wonder how _easy_ this would be." A bright colored ray shot towards Danny, and he swiftly dodged. Danny retaliated, his own rays cutting through the humid summer night. The shield blocked them, and Daniel flew into the air, and Danny followed close on his tail. They powered through the night sky, upward toward the clouds. Suddenly, a bright beam flew back – Danny didn't have the time to dodge. He fell downward, barely regaining himself before he reached the blacktop. Weak feet, landed, but Danny wasn't about to give up.

"How long are you going to keep kidding yourself?" Daniel asked, landing in front of him. "No matter how hard you try or what you do, you _can't_ beat me."

"Maybe you're right," Danny said. "Maybe I can't beat you alone."

"But he isn't alone!" Before the other could react, a ray of ghost beams shot through the air, the first hitting their mark. Vlad flew down from the sky and landed beside Danny.

"I figured you were hiding around here somewhere," Daniel said, brushing the char from his suit. "This will be too easy." He copied himself, thrice over, so that they fought two each. The two engaged in the battle, and ghost rays scattered the dark sky. Vlad quickly destroyed the two copies, and shot a blast towards the Daniel that tightened a firm hand around Danny's throat. He released, and disappeared, and the real Daniel was the only one that remained.

Without hesitation, they flew after him, and Danny shot an ice ray towards him. The shield easily protected Daniel from the attack. They rounded the corner, and suddenly a third joined the chase. Valerie's aim was impeccable as always, and she managed to get a quick unexpected shot on him. Quickly recovering, he headed deep into the woods of the park. Danny had expected the terrain change to be challenging, but his eyes could barely keep the speeding enemy in sight.

Suddenly, a blast hit Daniel from above, and he slammed hard into the ground. Crimson eyes opened, and Maddie swept down over him, weapon smoking. The other three rapidly joined her, and they surrounded their fallen enemy. Daniel smirked, and the air was suddenly cold. A shrill screech cut through the quiet night air, and the group was forced back. Danny and Vlad combined their shields, the barrier slowing the assault.

"Sam!" Danny called over the sound. "Are you and Tucker ready?!"

"Ready!" they both exclaimed.

"Let's get out of here!" Danny yelled to the rest. They retreated, invisible. Daniel flew passed, and eyes scanned the area carefully. As he passed, his Ghost Sense slipped out, and he shot a quick blast their way.

"You can't hide forever, Danny," he said quietly. "You know I'll find you."

"I know," Danny said, visible once more. "So catch me if you can." Danny took off into the night, and the other followed. His speed was impeccable, but Danny used the quick turns of the trees and city buildings to keep his distance. Finally, the Ops Center was in sight, and he knew he was approaching his home. He zipped passed, and suddenly the Specter Speeder bolted from the alleyway beside the house. Green lasers fired, and Daniel was thrown to the ground. Danny caught up to the Speeder, and the other three appeared beside him. Daniel flew upward, and Danny followed his move. A powerful beam blew past him, and exploded against the tail of the Spector Speeder. It spiraled downward, crashing into the pavement.

"Sam! Tucker!" he yelled and he dove downward. A ghost beam shot passed him, and he dodged quickly. Daniel fired again, and Danny had no choice but to engage. He shielded himself from the ray, and shot several towards his opponent. While he was occupied, Danny took the chance to look back to the scene below. The Spector Speeder was now ablaze, but Tucker and Sam both stood beside it. He let out a sigh of relief, but it was short lived.

Danny plummeted to the ground with the force of the swift blow, and slammed full-force into the pavement. Distantly, he heard his name, and he opened his eyes. Above him, Vlad had gone for Daniel, and Maddie aided him. Sam and Tucker rushed to his side, helping to his feet. A gloved hand rubbed his head, and Danny groaned.

"Are you okay?" Tucker asked.

"Yeah…I think so," he replied. "You?"

"We're fine," Sam assured. "But we're going to have to end this soon. I don't know how much more we can take."

"Yeah, but how?" Danny asked. "He's too powerful – I can hardly get an aim on him – and when I do, he blocks it!"

"We'll just have to keep at him," Sam said, pulling a weapon from her Spector Deflector 2.0 Belt. Valerie yelled as she fell from her air board, and it promptly caught her. The gun she'd been using fell to the asphalt and she gritted her teeth. Pulling a new weapon, she raced upward to join the other two.

"If we hammer him hard enough, he'll eventually be too exhausted to fight, right?" Tucker said, ducking beneath a straying ray that bounded towards them.

"Yeah," Danny agreed unsurely. "I'm just worried we'll be too exhausted first." The three sprang into action and joined the fight. Danny flew upwards and over, blasting a quick shot downward. It hit, and Daniel fell, recovering just before impact. Sam and Tucker gave it their best, firing their weapons to keep him from ascending once more. His shield held up, absorbing most of the fire, but he couldn't block them all. Valerie charged, weapon aimed. Daniel smirked and threw a ghost ray in her direction. The blast hit a weak point in the air board, and it fell rapidly. She pressed the buttons on her wrist watch desperately as she fell downward, but the equipment didn't respond.

Without hesitation, Danny dove after her, quickly closing the space between them. Suddenly, heat flew passed as ghost ray narrowly missed him. Danny recoiled, dodging another. He looked back downward, and Valerie slammed into a nearby bus bench. Sam ran to her side, Tucker covering her, as she checked Valerie's vitals. Vivid green eyes scanned the area, and Danny realized that Daniel had disappeared.

"You can't hide from us, Daniel," Vlad said tauntingly. "Maddie has the Disguise Breaker." A sudden shot passed him, and hit just behind him. Maddie smirked as Daniel reappeared. Four copies materialized and charged into the scene. Vlad fought one, and three surrounded Danny's mom. Quickly, Danny rushed to her aid, and one left to meet him. They blasted each other, shields preventing any damage. Suddenly, his mom yelled, and Danny caught the scene from the corner of his eye. Now human, Vlad plunged downward toward the asphalt. Daniel threw another blast at him, and Vlad crashed into the flickering street lamp. The street below went dark, and Danny dodged a quick attack from his copy.

Suddenly, an explosion lit the night, and Danny turned. With her air board disintegrated, Maddie fell from the air. Abandoning his fight, Danny sped to save her. Beams shot passed, but he ignored them. Eyes focused on his mother, and he reached her just in time. She was unconscious from the explosion, but fortunately alive. With no warning, Danny felt a sharp pain in his back, and his skin burned. He hit the pavement, and Maddie rolled a few feet away from him. Sam and Tucker rushed to his side, and his legs wobbled a little as he stood.

"Tucker, do you have your PDA?" he said, creating a shield over them as several blasts shot downward.

"No, it was in the Spector Speeder," he replied, wincing as another bunch hit.

"We need to activate the Ghost Shield and get everyone inside," Danny said. "We need to regroup."

"Cover me," Sam said immediately. "I'll run down to the basement and activate it while you two draw his fire." Danny hesitated but nodded.

"Be careful, okay?" he replied; she nodded and Danny let the barrier fall. With no hesitation, Danny and Tucker rushed Daniel, and Sam made a dash for the Fenton house. Daniel ignored his assaulters, and smirked wildly. A powerful ray blasted into the house, and the house smoked. Flames shot up around it, and Sam was trapped.

"Sam!" Danny yelled. He bolted, racing towards the burning building. Suddenly, Daniel blocked his path; Danny wasn't about to let that stop him. With a blast to his right, Danny tried to punch through. Daniel countered. The house behind him creaked and crumbled in the raging fire, bricks and metal collapsing around her. The Ops Center tilted threateningly, and the support snapped.

"NO!" he yelled. He shot passed Daniel, and he didn't make an attempt to stop him. Intangible, he searched through the rubble. For a moment, he disappeared from view, reappearing on the doorstep. Sam was limp in his arms, bleeding and burned. Tucker ran to his side, snatching his PDA from the smoldering Spector Speeder. Wordlessly, he activated his Ghost Shield WiFi.

"…Sam…" Danny whimpered. He checked for vitals – a pulse, a breath, a heartbeat – anything to let him know she was still alive. That she wasn't… "No…please…you can't…you can't…" Tears bit the corners of his eyes and leaked over onto cold pale cheeks. Bright green eyes closed and he slumped over her body. A hand touched his shoulder, and Danny couldn't bring himself to meet Tucker's gaze. Suddenly, she coughed painfully. "Sam!"

"D-Danny," she smiled weakly. Violet eyes met glowing green, and her hand touched his cheek. "You have to…to beat him," she said.

"But Sam – you're hurt," Danny replied shaking his head.

"Don't worry about me," she said. "I'll…I'll be fine. But you have to stop him, Danny. You're the only one that can."

"But…I don't know how," Danny replied. "I…don't know that I can." Sam's breathing suddenly became heavy, quick and raspy pants that choked in her throat. "Sam?!" Danny exclaimed. "Sam!" Eyes, the beautiful shade of spring lilacs, fluttered in and out of focus. He grabbed her hand, squeezing it. "Please, no! SAM!" Fingers released limply against his, and her body slumped lifelessly in his arms.

Danny wanted nothing more than to cry. To break down, fall into pieces, and cry. But he knew she had been right – he _had_ to take him down. He had taken too much. Jazz, his father – and his best friend.

"Sam…" Tucker whimpered.

"She's right…" Danny said quietly. "I have to beat him…"

"But…we don't know how," Tucker replied. "I mean there has to be _something_, but…"

"_True, you have tried, and true, he is powerful. But you are the only one that can stop him."_

"I'm the only one that can stop him…" Danny repeated, remembering the words that Clockwork had spoken.

"_Just remember that, no matter what happens…no matter how strong he is…he's still a part of you. Nothing can change that. …He will always be a part of you."_

"He will always be a part of me…" he recalled. "And I control what happens…"

"What do you mean?" Tucker asked.

"Tuck, I need you to get everyone under the Ghost Shield," Danny said distantly. "I…I don't know what's going to happen, but don't come out no matter what, okay?"

"O-okay, but Danny –" he replied.

"I'll distract him and buy you a little time," Danny continued. He changed forms and stepped through the shield before changing back. Dodging the passing rays, Danny drew Daniel's fire. His body was on auto-pilot, and his mind raced with thoughts – of Sam, of Jack, of Jazz… Of days before his life had changed – and those after. He kept an eye on Tucker, who raced to get their fallen comrades beneath the shield. Vlad and Maddie, now both conscious, leaned on one another as they limped to Sam's side. Tucker had Valerie's arm over his shoulder, and drug her to meet them. They were all safe.

Danny swooped downward, and Daniel followed. Feet touched the pavement, and they faced each other. Fierce green met sly crimson eyes and Daniel smirked; he knew he had won. Danny took in a deep breath and turned invisible. The smirk faded as blood colored eyes darted around quickly, attempting to detect the slightest movement. Danny watched him for a moment before quietly lifting from the ground. He glided over to his opponent uneasily. Daniel turned sharply and the savage glare shot straight through him. Holding his breath, Danny turned intangible and phased into him

The effect took only an instant. The world around him swirled, and Danny plunged into darkness. A shrill scream echoed in his ears and blood ran cold beneath his skin. He could feel him. Fighting, taking over.

"_You can't beat me, Danny!"_ his voice chuckled menacingly. His body felt illusionary – unreal. Heat swelled up inside him, and pins and needles pricked at his skin. Around him, his own scream echoed, but no sound escaped his lips.

Flashes raced before his eyes, and his mind churned confusingly. He saw his father, his sister, friendly faces from Casper High, ghosts he'd fought – flashes. Memories. They spun before him, overlapping and blurring together. Finally his mind fell back to that comfortable spring morning – the funeral. The promise he made as he placed a fragile yellow rose on the casket.

"No!" he yelled suddenly. "I _won't_ let you win!" The memory vanished, and suddenly Danny was surrounded by darkness. From above him, a bright light formed, emanating pale blue. He gazed into it curiously, uncertain.

"_I'm really proud of you, Danny Fenton,"_ a voice said. It was feminine, nasally. He smiled – he knew that voice. The light spiraled down around him, dancing in delicate tendrils. Hesitantly, he reached a hand out to it; the light was warm and tender as it curled around his fingers.

"_I'm really proud of you, son,"_ another spoke, masculine this time. A heavy hand patted his shoulder and Danny reached to touch it. Fingers touched his own shoulder, and the weight lifted. He turned sharply, but no one was behind him.

"_Do me a favor,"_ she began. He could see the smile touch her lips and the lilac eyes that met his own. _"Don't blame yourself."_ Danny smiled, and nodded. Gentle fingers touched his cheek, and his skin pressed into the warm touch. He placed his hand on hers, and he could feel it, the soft skin, tender and soothing against his own.

"I won't," he whispered as the warmth disappeared from his cheek.


	16. Epilogue

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Epilogue**

The sky was overcast with dark clouds that threatened to break into a downpour at any moment. A cool breeze brought the fresh scent of rain and unusually chilly air that made him shiver beneath his suit. Sam's favorite type of day. Burning tears bit at the corners of his eyes, but he forced them back. Sad long chords played from the corner as the precession passed. At her parent's request, Danny and Tucker sat beside them in the front row of metal chairs. In front of them, a cherry wood casket rested on the crane, waiting to be lowered into a solid vault. Atop the casket, a spray of bright colored roses shuddered in the wind.

The pallbearers lifted the delicate array of flowers, and beside him, Sam's mother let out a soft sob. Danny's heart was heavy, guilty, lonely. He felt alone as he watched the men lower the casket and the first raindrop fell onto its smooth surface. Umbrellas glided up around him, but he didn't care about the looming rain. As the crowd dispersed, Sam's parents stood, holding one another. Danny stood, too, and approached the vault. He pulled a yellow rose from the spray, and placed it on the shining surface. Fingers glided across the finished wood, and he finally let his hand fall. The vault closed, and the crane began lowering into the freshly dug grave.

He felt sick. Danny knew that no one blamed him – and that Sam hadn't wanted him to blame himself. It wasn't _him _that had killed, that had spilled innocent blood and turned so many lives upside down. But that darkness…it was inside him now. That ravenous spirit, blood thirsty and destructive, lingered deep within. Nothing would ever change that. And the thought turned his stomach.

Finally a tear mingled among the rain drops that slid down his face, and Danny didn't wipe it away. He felt a hand on his shoulder, warm and soft as it rubbed his shoulder. His head turned and his mother smiled weakly. Vlad stood beside her, holding an umbrella over her. Sniffles and sobs drifted to his ears and Danny looked away.

Through the crowd, he noticed someone he didn't recognize. Tall and slender, she wore a smooth black dress, and long raven hair had been tied back delicately. The cool breeze danced through loose locks around her face, and she brushed them away as she turned from the casket. Dark russet eyes locked onto sapphire blue.

It was Anna.

They approached each other through the crowd, and finally they stood to face each other. He studied her face for a moment, and she looked away nervously.

"Hi, Danny," she said quietly.

"Anna…?" he asked unsurely.

"The night that we met, do you remember…when I woke up, I said I had a strange dream?"

"Yeah, I do, but…" Danny replied. "I'm sorry – none of this makes sense."

"It didn't to me, either," she said. "That night, I dreamed…of this – of Sam's funeral. And that…I was the one that killed her. And even after that, I kept dreaming of the four of us – you, Sam, Tucker…and me."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"At first, I thought I just missed you guys, and I kept planning to come visit," she continued.

"…But?"

"…But things…just kept happening," she replied. "Our apartment building burned down, my mother became ill…and I just never got around to it."

"You never came?" Danny asked with shock. "Then…then it was him all along…"

"After my mother passed away, I kept having this one dream," she explained. "Always the same one. I kept…turning into this…this evil ghost. I would fight against you, and eventually…kill her. At first, I just shrugged it off…but then I saw her obituary in the paper."

"What you saw, Anna…" Danny began. "What you saw was _real_. It did happen. There was this ghost…and he wanted to destroy everything close to me. In the end, he killed Sam – and my dad and sister. But Anna…he was posing as _you_. I…honestly didn't know if you were real… Part of me thought…that maybe you were someone he had created. But…your dreams…they weren't just dreams. It happened, and…and we couldn't stop him in time."

Eyes looked back to the vault, now fully lowered into the grave. Three men began shoveling the soggy dirt back over it, and he sighed. Anna smiled, and bid him farewell, and Danny nodded as he watched her leave. A small rumble echoed through the clouds, and Tucker came to his side. Words fell inaudibly, and Danny allowed himself to be guided away. The car was warm and dry, but the cold rain clung to his clammy skin. Droplets pelted the window and slid down the surface as Danny gazed passed them.

Two figures remained at the graveside as the pallbearers silently placed the delicate arrangement of flowers across the soggy ground. They each hugged the two, leaving to seek shelter from the storm. But the pair held each other under an umbrella in the bitter rain, alone by their daughter's grave. A flash of lightning lit the sky, and rolling thunder echoed loudly as the car pulled away from the Amity Park cemetery.


End file.
